Nameless
by MaskedAngel18
Summary: What happens when someone that Kira can't kill gets involved in the case? What does Mello do when he finds out? Would he be able to beat Kira in time, or would she end up a sacrifice he doesn't want to make? T mainly for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Yes. I did it. I redid this chapter. I also redid a couple of other chapters. It's mainly the earlier chapters for more details and tense corrections. Any others would be the ones I tried, and failed miserably, to write in present tense. I'm hoping on making this story a bit better because, I'll admit, the first couple of chapters suck compared to the later chapters.**

**Well, I now give you the new chapter one!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own my OC, who is now (if you can't guess) nameless.**

Chapter 1

Kira's reign for the past almost five years had taken its toll on L.A.'s nightlife.

The mafia, as well as several other gangs and mobs, had to go further underground. Clients had been lost and enemies were even harder to find.

Mello had proven himself to be able to find such enemies when he had brought the head of one back when he first joined the mafia. Ross had found Mello to be useful, and over time, Mello made his way so that he was pretty much in control of the whole mafia. He had almost everything he needed to take Kira down.

And nothing was going to stand in his way from his goal of being number one. He was going to stand above everyone. That included Kira, Near, and L. He was going to beat Kira and Near and avenge L.

He was going to gain everything. He wouldn't need anything else.

…

Outside of the mafia's hideout, although she didn't know it was the mafia hideout, was a girl. Well, actually, she was more of a young woman. She was just a bit on the small side.

She was worn and tired. She needed to find someplace to sleep soon. But, all of the motels were booked and she couldn't afford one of the expensive hotels. She was stuck sleeping out in the streets of L.A.

She had been wandering around the back alleys for a while, keeping her guard up in case someone was going to try to mug or rape her. But, she was at her limits for the night. She would just have to find a spot and just hope that she would be left alone.

She looked around her surroundings and found what looked like a warehouse. She had never been here before and the warehouse looked like it was abandoned. Maybe she would have a roof over her head after all.

That was when she saw it. It was over in a corner, not moving but probably observing her. A shinigami. She didn't think that there would be one here. But she shouldn't have to worry about it.

She picked a spot along a wall of the warehouse. She needed to rest and she figured that if she stayed long enough, she would see what it was doing here.

The shinigami did notice her. What she didn't expect was for him to talk out loud.

"Just a human female. Nothing special."

She wasn't sure what he meant by that, at least she was sure it was a he by the sound of the voice. She was also slightly surprised by the last comment. She thought that he would take some interest in her. That was when she remembered that most shinigami didn't take any interest in the human world at all, let alone individual humans.

She did a sweep of the shinigami watching her. Her eyes widened when she realized something. Even if it wasn't for certain circumstances, she would have been safe from him anyway. He didn't have one on him.

There was only one reason she recalled for a shinigami to be in the human world. Someone here had its Death Note.

…

"Hey, boss." Ross and Mello turned their heads to see Jack, the one who traded half of his life span for the eyes. He had his eyes on the monitors when something suddenly came up.

"What is it?" Ross sounded a bit annoyed. Mello just sat on the couch and waited quietly to see what the deal was.

"There's someone just outside the front. I don't think she knows we're here though."

Mello turned his attention to one of the camera feeds on his laptop. He was right. Out front there was a girl walking over to one of the walls and sitting down, leaning back against it.

Mello was pretty sure that she was just a lost person and that she didn't know that there was someone in the seemingly abandoned warehouse. She didn't act like an undercover cop and she looked too young to be one.

That was when Sidoh spoke.

"Just a human female. Nothing special."

So, Sidoh didn't see an ambush forming outside. That just confirmed that she was just lost in the wrong area. But they couldn't afford anyone to find out the mafia was here.

"I have to say, she's starting to creep me out a bit. I swear it looks like she's staring right at me."

That had set off an alarm in Mello's head. He took a closer look at the girl. Sidoh was right. She was looking in his direction. But, they had the notebook. She shouldn't be able to see him. It was probably a coincidence.

"That's probably a coincidence," Ross said, echoing Mello's thoughts.

"She's obviously not a smart one to be wondering around here this late at night. Hey Jack, what's her name?"

It was useful to have someone with the shinigami eyes around. They wouldn't have to deal with aliases when looking for someone and the Death Note made it so that they wouldn't have to reveal themselves when taking someone out.

Mello felt a bit guilty about the fact that she was going to be killed, but they couldn't afford to take the chances. They couldn't let Kira or the Taskforce find them. They couldn't afford any witnesses, especially when some of the guys were supposed to come in through that entrance later.

"….I can't see it."

Everyone looked up at this.

"I can't see her name."

Mello looked down and frowned. Did that mean she just died? She didn't act like that she had a heart attack, so it wouldn't have been Kira's doing. Maybe she was sick? Either way, she just died in the back alleys of L.A. like some dog. Nobody but them knew that she was there. One thing was for sure, he didn't want to die like that. In fact, he had no plans to die in the near future at all.

"So, she just came here to find a place to die, then? Fine by me. It just means that we didn't have to do it ourselves." Ross obviously felt nothing about a random person dying in front of him.

"I don't think she's dead."

Mello looked up, confused and alarmed.

"What do you mean?" What was this about?

"I can still see her life span…."

Mello's eyes widened. Her life span could be seen, but not her name?

How was that possible? Didn't everyone have a name that could be seen? Did this mean that she would be immune to Kira? Was it something that you had to be born with or could it be acquired?

Mello had to know how this was possible. He wanted to ask Sidoh if he couldn't see the name either, but if she was still alive, she might hear him through the speakers and make a run for it.

He had to question her. If immunity from the Death Note was possible, he had to know how so that he could beat Kira without any worries.

"You two," he pointed to two guys by the door, "bring her in so we can interrogate her."

They looked confused.

"What for?"

Mello looked over to them.

"If she's alive and has no name, wouldn't that make her immune to Kira and the Death Note? If such a thing is possible, I need to know how."

Ross nodded.

"So move your lazy asses and bring her in!"

With the command from Ross, they left through the door.

They had reappeared on the monitor, approaching the girl.

Apparently, she was alive because she looked up and got up quickly, as though planning on getting away.

One of the guys pulled out a gun and aimed it at her, making her stop in her tracks. They couldn't hear from the monitors what was going on, but the guy with the gun was motioning her to follow them in.

Something else was said and she removed the backpack she had and kept it in her hand. The other guy snatched it and she began to follow them. It was then that they realized they underestimated her.

Before they walked more than three feet, she grabbed the arm of the guy with the gun and pulled him towards her. He was thrown off balance from the unexpected attack and she slammed her fist right below his ribcage.

While he was stunned, she brought him forward until she was able to hit the back of his head, causing him to black out.

As he fell to the ground, the other guy made to grab his gun, but she was a bit faster than him.

As his hand gripped the gun, she kicked him in the shin and as he hopped on one leg and fell forward, she raised her elbow up and got him in the jugular. As he wheezed, trying to get some air, she grabbed him by the shoulder. She seemed to be looking for a particular spot, and apparently she found the pressure point she was looking for because that guy went down out cold.

She grabbed her backpack and started rummaging through it. She looked up and saw the security cameras. She seemed to be glaring right at Mello.

Before anyone could react, someone off-screen started shouting and shots were fired. The girl ducked and found what she was looking for. She pulled out a gun and aimed it at the shooter.

She fired and as she took off running, gas could be seen entering the camera's line of sight.

She had fired a gas grenade.

Mello sat there shocked for a minute. This girl was not as she appeared. She had weapons on her and she knew how to fight. Was she a cop, then? Was she working for the Taskforce? Who was she?

"Don't just stand there! Go after her! Bring her in!"

A couple of the guys jumped at Ross's command, but complied, nonetheless. She now knew that they were there. They couldn't allow for witnesses.

Mello sat there staring at his laptop.

He couldn't believe that they let themselves get one upped by some girl. It didn't even look like she was older than him. Something felt familiar about that, but he wouldn't let himself go down memory lane. This wasn't the time or the place for that.

Instead, he grabbed another chocolate bar and started to play the waiting game.

….

Mello was starting to get irritated. It had been over a half an hour since they had sent them out to catch the girl.

Mello prayed that they didn't lose track of her. The mere thought pissed him off, mainly because it reminded him of something he didn't want to remember. Besides, his past had nothing to do with anything now.

He had finished yet another chocolate bar as he saw movement on one of the camera feeds on his laptop.

It looked like the men they sent out had returned. At first, he wasn't sure if they caught her. Then he saw one guy walking behind the girl, pinning her arms behind her. She was struggling very hard to get out of his grip. Apparently, the others were worried because there were two other guys flanking the one that held her, making sure she didn't get away.

In the next minute, one of their men came inside and looked towards Ross and Mello.

"We got her."

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	2. Chapter 2

**Brand new chapter 2! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note! I do own my OC who is currently (as if this needed to be said) nameless.**

Chapter 2

Mello watched as the girl was dragged in kicking and screaming. Well, she really wasn't screaming. But she was struggling to try to get the hell out of there.

But Mello had no intention of letting her going anywhere. He wanted answers first.

As she was brought closer, Mello was beginning to think that she might be tougher than she looked. She was definitely putting up a fight. In fact, it looked like that she might win her struggle against the one who had her arms pinned.

It was apparent that no one there was expecting this from her. Women were typically weaker than men, so they shouldn't have much of a chance in a fight against them.

However, this girl appeared to be an exception because she eventually freed herself and kicked her captor in the gut. She then turned around and kicked her bag away from the man who was holding it. She tried to run to retrieve it, but was stopped by two more guys. She wasted no time in pulling one towards her to knock him off balance, punch him below the ribcage, and while he was stunned, pushed him against the other guy. The other guy tried to keep his balance, but he was too slow as the girl snuck around behind him and punched him in the kidney. That guy went down in pain.

In the next second, the sound of several guns being cocked could be heard behind her.

She turned around to see six guns aimed right at her.

Mello could see in her eyes that she was calculating her chances of getting out alive if she either ran for it or stayed and fight. He already knew that her chances were slim.

"Give up now while you can. There's no way you can get out alive now."

Her breathing stalled. It would seem like a slight panic of being forced to realize the truth and that she couldn't escape to those around her. But that wasn't what surprised her. She knew her odds the moment she was dragged back to the hideout.

What had shocked her so much that she had let it show on her face for a few seconds was the voice. _That voice_. She knew that voice anywhere. She knew who was there, but refused to acknowledge it. He couldn't be here. That couldn't be him.

In her state of shock, one of the guys roughly grabbed her by her arm and shoved her onto another couch. She was about to let her temper take over from that, but she was stopped again by the same voice.

"Now, we have some questions for you and you _will_ answer them, _got it_?"

She didn't want to look up. She knew who was on the other couch, but she didn't want to confirm what she knew. But, knowing him, he would make her look at him just so that he knew she was listening. If that was who she knew-_thought_-was there was actually there.

She would have to keep her face blank. She would have to try to kill her emotions for the next few minutes in order to get through this.

"I said do you get it? Answer me!"

Wiping all emotion from her face, she looked up, hoping that he wouldn't hear or notice the frantic beating of her heart. The heart that nearly broke upon confirmation of what she already knew.

Mello studied her face. He took the fact that she actually looked up as confirmation that she understood. She didn't seem like she was very talkative.

Her face was blank of all emotion. It was the poker face that most of the men here would kill to have. It betrayed nothing. No fear, no shock, nothing.

Mello could already tell that she wouldn't be an easy person to interrogate, but they had some time before the Taskforce did anything. They weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Now that he got a closer look at her, he could see that she wasn't a very tall person. She was actually a bit small and probably only around 5'2 or 5'3. He didn't think that such a small person could do so much damage as to take out at least five guys that were about twice her size. Clearly, she had been trained by someone.

She looked a bit ragged, like she hadn't had any rest lately. Her clothes were a bit tattered and she had slight smudges under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept recently.

Her hair was wavy and dark blonde, or maybe it was brown? It was probably somewhere near the borderline, but he couldn't tell in the poor lighting. It was cut to where it just touches her shoulders and was parted to the side. Her bangs framed her face.

She had blue eyes with a navy ring encircling the irises. It wasn't the same shade as his ice blue. They were a couple of shades darker than that.

She wore a worn-out navy blue jacket, jeans, and sneakers. Mello could see the blue-gray shirt she wore underneath the jacket peeking out.

To Mello, she looked vaguely familiar, but he pushed the thought away. There was no way she was anybody he knew.

She was doing all she could to keep calm. He was studying her carefully. It was only a matter of time before he remembered.

She was glad that she went with the hair cut. She had never bothered with her hair before, so the waves that naturally came surprised her. Maybe it was because her hair had been so long and thick that it naturally straightened itself under the weight? Oh well, the shorter hair was meant to throw the people who knew her off. She didn't want to be recognized by anyone from her past.

"It took you guys long enough to catch one little girl."

She normally would have wanted to beat up the big guy with the beard for calling her a "little girl", but she had reached a point long ago where she just stopped caring anymore.

"It couldn't be helped. She had another gun in her backpack and was getting pretty accurate with the shots. We had to wait until we had her in a corner and she needed to reload. Nobody's dead, but a couple of us got hit in the kneecaps."

Ross nodded.

Mello pulled out another chocolate bar and looked back at her. Something had flashed through her eyes at that moment, but it disappeared before he could identify what it was he saw.

Of course, Mello wouldn't be himself if he didn't have a chocolate bar in his hand. She had to put in quite a bit of effort to keep the memories that threatened to flood her mind at bay.

She couldn't afford to do that now. She needed to keep her emotions locked in a box for now.

Actually, what she needed was to get out of there. She couldn't keep this up forever, and Mello was going to find out who she was eventually. She knew him too well. She knew how he was going to react. She would admit for the first time that she needed help, but she didn't feel like she could face Mello right then and there.

She needed something else to think about other than Mello if she was going to last long.

That was when she looked away and spotted what he had in his other hand. Her eyes widened just a fraction as she recognized the black notebook he held in his hands. The very reason there was a shinigami outside of the hideout. The Death Note.

Mello had the Death Note. How did he get the Death Note? She prayed that he didn't do anything stupid to get it. She was hoping that he didn't use it. She eyed the rosary around his neck. She remembered what she was told about those who use the Death Note. She was hoping he didn't, because then he….

Mello noticed something in her eyes. Her face didn't say anything, but her eyes seemed….worried? Sad? He didn't understand. But her eyes had wandered over the Death Note when the change in her eyes happened. Did she know something?

She then remembered something. She looked at Mello in the eyes. His eyes were the same ice blue as they always were. She gave a mental sigh of relief. She was glad that he wasn't that stupid. She would have killed him herself if he did that.

She looked at the big guy that seemed to charge. Nope, not him. She then looked at the guy next to him with glasses. Ding, ding, ding! She had a winner! He was staring at her intently. Even though she knew why he was doing that, it still creeped her out. So she decided to stop wasting time because she now knew why she was in here.

"You can stare all you want, but you won't see it, no matter how hard you try."

Mello was surprised that she actually started talking, but he was shocked by the fact that she was addressing Jack when she said that. Did she know? It could be a coincidence. She could just be annoyed by the fact that Jack kept staring at her. But he was only doing that because, despite his shinigami eyes, he couldn't see her name.

Mello had to clarify.

"What are you talking about?" He was watching her carefully.

She closed her eyes and looked down.

"I know now why I'm in here. I'm here because you have the Death Note and that guy right there," she pointed at Jack, "has the shinigami eyes. You saw that my name can't be seen by the shinigami eyes and wanted to question me. You want to be able to survive Kira, don't you?"

Everyone was silent. Mello couldn't believe. Not only did she know about the Death Note, but she knew about the shinigami eyes. But how did she know who had them? How did she know that much in the first place? Was she involved in the case? Was she working for Near? But Near didn't know this much about the Death Note, so that couldn't be it. Was she a part of the Taskforce? If she was, why was she here alone then?

"You seem to know quite a bit about this. Where did you get this information?" Mello had to know.

It didn't seem like she was paying too much attention to his question.

"I bet you don't know about the shinigami, though. If we asked him to, he'll just kill you for us. And you can't see him, so you won't see him coming."

What the hell did he think he was doing? Mello knew that Ross was just trying to scare her, but he wanted her to give them information, not the other way around. Was he an idiot?

She opened her eyes, looking annoyed by him.

"If you're talking about the shinigami that is outside guarding the base, he isn't allowed to kill me. The only reason he would be here is to get his notebook back, which you have. A shinigami isn't allowed to kill without the Death Note. Your threat is empty."

Mello's eyes narrowed. Not even Sidoh told them that much. How did she know this? How did she see Sidoh? Who the hell was she?

Mello focused in on her hand, which was at her neck and tugging on a metal chain. It was a necklace, that much was apparent, but the rest was underneath her jacket, out of sight.

Something about that action was too familiar. Before Mello could think anymore of it, one of the thugs noticed it.

"Hey! What do you have there?"

He grabbed her necklace and pulled the rest of it out of her jacket. Her eyes widened. She knew that if Mello didn't recognize her before, he definitely would if he saw the pendant.

Before she could do anything about it, though, the pendant dangled from the thug's hand and her neck was jerked forward because of the tug. The chain wasn't delicate enough to break that easily. It was actually a bit thicker than that.

Mello's eyes rested on the pendant. It was in the shape of a ninja star. In the center was the symbol for yin and yang. His eyes narrowed upon a realization.

It wasn't….it couldn't be…

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	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Improved! **

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own my OC who is nameless at the moment.**

Chapter 3

"_Happy Birthday." A little girl looked up as a gift wrapped box was handed to her. The box was no bigger than her hand._

_She took it and looked at it curiously. She seemed to be debating on whether or not to shake it to guess what was inside. _

"_What are you waiting for? Open it!"_

_She decided against shaking it and started tearing off the wrapping paper. What was revealed was a plain white box. _

_With her curiosity growing, she grabbed the lid and opened the box. _

_At first, he didn't see what was in it. Then she grabbed what was in it and held it out._

_It was a necklace. A silver chain with a black pendant in the shape of a ninja star. In the center of the pendant was the symbol for yin and yang._

_He wasn't sure why she was given that, but she seemed to love it. She smiled as the necklace dangled in her hand._

Mello froze as the memory flashed through his head. He couldn't believe it. That couldn't be _her_ of all people.

His eyes scanned her again. Now that he looked again, she looked almost _exactly_ like _her_.

She had the navy blue jacket. She had the dark blonde hair. Granted, he remembered that her hair was longer and he didn't recall the waves. It could be that she had it styled.

She had the same blue eyes. Almost everything was the same. How did he not see it before? Oh, right, he had been trying to forget her this whole time. He probably would have succeeded in that if she hadn't showed up now.

What was she doing here? Mello hadn't seen her in years. What made her come to L.A.?

After he got over the initial shock, he felt overwhelming anger.

_Why_ was _she_ here? What could she want with him if he were to assume that she purposefully sought him out?

What the _hell_ was _she_ doing sticking her nose into the Kira case?

Why would she dare to show her face to him now?

"Tell us what we want to know, or we'll shoot you dead. No name or not, there's no way that you're bulletproof." Ross was getting sick of her attitude. If she couldn't be killed by the Death Note, then she would be killed the old-fashioned way.

Mello's mind started an internal battle when he heard those words. He knew her better than anyone here. He knew that she wasn't going to tell them anything now. He wasn't even sure why she said as much as she already had. But he knew that she wouldn't let the guns intimidate her. She would put up a tough front until the end.

Even though no one could see it because of the gloves, Mello's knuckles were starting to turn white as he tightened his fist.

She didn't respond, neither vocally or with facial features. In fact, if anything, she looked like she was daring them to draw their guns on her.

After a minute, for clarification that they were serious, several guns were cocked and pointed at her. She didn't flinch. She didn't show any emotion whatsoever.

"Wait."

Everyone stopped and looked at Mello. She looked towards him as well. She looked like she was unsure of what he would do, but there was no way to tell what she was really feeling. Mello learned that a long time ago.

Mello didn't look at anyone as he said his next order.

"Put her in one of the vacant rooms and keep an eye on her. I have an idea of what to do with her."

He glanced at her. He thought he saw a look of surprise flash through her eyes, but he couldn't be sure if that was really what she was feeling.

Two of the men roughly brought her to her feet and took her down a hallway that led out of the room. She wasn't fighting back, so Mello didn't see a reason to worry about her trying to escape now.

Secretly, he felt relieved. Then he felt frustrated with himself. Just why the hell was he saving her ass now?

….

She didn't struggle as she was escorted down a dim lit hallway and into an empty room. There was absolutely no furniture in the room, so she had settled for sitting on the floor with her back against the wall. There was only a window that let the moonlight in. That was the only source of light for the room.

She would have checked out the window to see if there was any way out of the room, but she just wasn't up to it. She felt even more tired than she was when she first got there.

She just wanted to sleep, but she knew that Mello would eventually come in there himself and demand answers from her. He knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't have told them anything more. But, she knew he hated her. She knew he hated her for a long time.

That was her fault that he hated her. She did ditch him when she had once said otherwise.

She also knew his temper. He was the kind of person to hold a grudge for a long time. She knew that he wouldn't forgive her so easily.

She briefly wondered where Matt was and how he was doing. She didn't see him down there. Was he somewhere on an errand or did Mello leave him behind like she left them behind? Either way, she wouldn't even know where to look to find him. Well, besides a Game Stop, Best Buy, anywhere that would have video games.

She closed her eyes as she began to go over her options.

She could stay here until Mello barged in and started demanding answers to questions she knew that he would have.

She would escape at the first chance she got and hold off on getting help until a later date.

She could hold off on getting help until a bit later. She still had some time. Not a whole lot, but still quite a bit.

She began to think about what would happen at Mello's interrogation. There would be yelling, shouting, and if things got really bad, they would be throwing punches at each other.

She knew that she could hold her own against him physically, but she had been an emotional mess for years. She didn't think that she could take his fury right now.

She looked down at her only surviving relic from her past, the necklace. It was a birthday gift she had received years ago. She never took it off. For a minute, she had let herself wish that she could go back to that time. It was the best time of her life, after all.

But, there was no turning back, not for anyone. Not for her, or for Mello.

She knew that the only reason Mello would put up with her for now was because she made it clear that she knew about the Death Note. He probably also thought that she knew something about Kira as well.

She wondered. If he had her name, would he think of using the Death Note on her? It was true that he could be rash and let his emotions get in the way. But she was no better. The last few years had been proof of that.

She made her decision. She would have to put off the confrontation for just a little longer. She knew that Mello would be furious, but she just didn't think that she could handle facing him now.

…

"Hey, why are we keeping her alive? If she gets out, she'll go to the police and tell them where we are."

Honestly, Mello was pretty sure he was the only smart person here.

He took another bite of his chocolate bar before he explained.

"She may know something about the Death Note that we don't. I'll go in there to interrogate her myself in a while to find out. Plus, since we have knowledge of a SWAT team coming to ambush us, she could be our ticket out. They don't want to kill any innocent people, so she'll be our hostage during the ambush. If you keep an eye on her, she won't run off."

That was pretty much true. He knew that, out of all of the people here, it was more likely that she would talk to him about what she knew than with anyone else. And she could be his ticket out of the raid if it came to it. All he had to do was show he had a hostage to the SWAT team, and he would take off with her.

But, what if she didn't cooperate? She was not the most cooperative person he knew. He couldn't afford to lose the information she probably possessed, but he couldn't let the others think that he had a soft spot for her. The worst case scenario was that he would have to kill her himself.

He felt himself go stiff at the thought of him holding a gun to her head and squeezing the trigger. He caught himself before he could think anymore of the image.

Why should he care about her? She didn't care about him. She made that clear. Why should he cringe at the thought of holding a gun to her? He didn't have a soft spot for her. He had nothing to worry about from the other thugs.

No, he didn't care about her. All she was now was a pawn in his plans to take Kira down. He didn't care what happened to her afterwards.

….

About two hours later, Mello decided to go interrogate her. If she was asleep, he would force her awake. He didn't give a shit if she was worn out and tired. She was going to answer all of his questions.

As he walked down the hallway towards the room she was locked in, the two men who were supposed to be watching her came running down the hall towards him.

This couldn't be good.

"What happened?" He already had a feeling what happened.

"We went in when it was too quiet to make sure that she didn't commit suicide," Yeah, right. If there was one thing he knew about her was that she wasn't suicidal, "and as soon as we walked in, she took us out. When we woke up, she was gone."

Shit! He was afraid of that.

"How long ago did this happen?" Knowing her, she was probably long gone by now.

"About an hour ago."

Mello clenched his teeth. Yes, she was definitely far away by now. He couldn't stop the anger that threatened to boil him over.

Once again, the bitch made a run for it. It seemed like that was all she did anymore was run off on him.

He walked past the two guards and made his way to his own room. He was going to fume in there until he could compose himself once again to go back out and go over the plans for the SWAT invasion that was supposed to take place any day now.

…..

The next night, she was walking down a street that was actually only a block away from the mafia hideout. She figured that they wouldn't think of looking for her so close to the hideout.

It was actually very late at night, so if anyone saw her out, they would probably think that she was up to no good. But she didn't care what others thought of her anymore.

She didn't go to the police. Under any other circumstances, she would have, but she had no intentions of turning Mello in.

She was aware of what him being in the mafia implied, of what he might have done. But she knew his intentions. She was going to turn a blind eye to this for now.

Suddenly, she heard an explosion go off nearby. It sounded like it was close. She turned around to see smoke rising from the direction of the hideout.

Her breathing hitched as her mind started shouting at her to go and make sure he was ok. But, she calmed herself down. As rash as he could be, he typically was able to plan ahead for the worst case scenario, unlike her. She wasn't in the habit of thinking ahead.

If he was planning on blowing the place up, he must have had an escape plan. She didn't doubt that he would get out alive.

She had never doubted his abilities before. She knew his capabilities. He would get out alive. She had faith in him, just like he didn't have faith her anymore.

She sighed. She knew that she wouldn't be able to find him after that. Just like her, he knew how to drop out of the radar.

Well, if it came to the point that she needed help, she knew of someone who was probably a bit easier to track.

**What's blue and says review? The review button. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. I need the motivation.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! It's me again! Here with chapter 4 for this story. In case you haven't been bugged enough about this, please review, review, review! It really helps me and I would like to thank f-f-f-france (if I spelled that wrong, then I'm sorry!) for the review. I know the character seems a little out there, but I really wanted to write about a character who would sooner kick your but than buy the same crap Light gives to Misa and Takada, and I thought it would be fun to write about someone that can go ninja on your a$$ before you know it.**

**I would like to know your thoughts on my story so I can improve as an author.**

**So review away, but not before you finished reading the chapter!**

Chapter 4

Several days has passed since the explosion.

Mello dropped out of everyone's radar, and the girl's appearance remains a mystery to everyone but Mello.

The girl is presently sitting at an outdoor table at a café somewhere in Los Angeles. She drinks the Chi Tea Latte she ordered from a Styrofoam cup as she ponders her next move.

She knows that Mello won't tell anyone about her. The only reason would be because Mello doesn't want Near to know that she returned, somewhat. He would want to be the only one to know what she knows about the case so that he can beat Near.

She sighs. She knows him too well. They had been such good friends before. But now, even if he does want her on his side, he wouldn't simply forgive her that easily. He's too stubborn for that.

She remembers that aspect of him well.

Well, there's no point in putting it off anymore. She needs help. She knows that she completely sucks at hacking, so she won't be able to confirm anything about the guy who now claims to be L by trying to get into his computer, and she doubt that he was going to just waltz out of his hideout, tell her he's L, and let her kick his ass into submission.

She sighs sadly and looks down into her cup.

_I wish brother was still here with me. He would know what to do and where to go. He knows everything._

She nearly cried over the memories of her brother. It was so long ago and she still isn't over it.

That was one of the reasons why she left. Her grieving would only have been a hindrance.

_Snap out of it! There is no point in crying now. If I want to help, I have to think clearly._

She closed her eyes and started to think: Where would Near be?

_I guess I'll go to New York first. Brother always said to follow your gut._

New York is a big city. There are plenty of places for an organization to hide there. There is a chance that she is wrong, but she doesn't have too many choices and her gut keeps pointing out New York.

With that, she downs the rest of her drink and went to ask for directions to the airport.

……………………………..

To say that Mello is angry would be an understatement. He is _pissed_ beyond belief. He couldn't believe that, after so long since they last met, she reappears and then disappears in one night.

Mello is currently sitting on a couch at Hal Lidner's apartment, waiting for her to come back. He rests his elbow on his knee and his forehead on his hand as he thinks.

He can't help but think that he should have had more people watch her, or have escorted her himself and then interrogate her right there. She was never known to stay put.

He couldn't tell what he felt when he saw her for the first time in…..what, 5 years? He felt like shooting her for a second because he was, is, so pissed off at her. But he also felt…….relieved?

Mello clenches his teeth at this. Why should he be relieved to see her? She ran off on him. _She's_ the one who had acted like she actually cared. Mello can't believe that he let himself be fooled like that.

Once again, that memory passes through his thoughts.

……………………….

"_Mello, wait." Mello is in Roger's office and had just received the news, along with Near, that L had been killed. Mello had turned to leave and is about to grab the doorknob when Roger suddenly says, "There is also a matter concerning June."_

_Mello felt his heart stop. He freezes at the door, hand at the doorknob. He turns his head toward Roger._

"_What do you mean? What about June?" Mello is afraid of the answer he will receive._

_He didn't see her all day. Not only that, but she hadn't been herself lately. This was enough to make him worry about what Roger is going to say._

"_She's disappeared. I have reason to believe that she vanished sometime last night."_

_Mello couldn't process what he said. Disappeared? What did he mean?_

"_What do you mean 'disappeared'? Do you mean that she was kidnapped or…."Mello left his question hanging. He didn't want to hear what Roger is going to say at this point, but he has to know._

"_I mean that she ran away. She is no longer anywhere near here."_

_Mello just stands there. His heart sunk. He couldn't believe what he heard. When the news finally registers to him, he feels overwhelming rage consume him. _

'Don't worry. You can always count on me. I'm not going anywhere…'

You lying bitch,_ he thought. He wonders what else she lied to him about. Had she ever told him the truth about anything? He suspected that she was hiding something, but….._

"_We need to find her as soon as possible, before her trail gets cold," said Roger._

_Mello just turns his back to him and says, "Why should I care? I don't need her for anything." He could feel Near's eyes boring into his back, but he didn't care. That twit can think whatever he wants._

"_I'm going to go live my own life. I don't need anyone, especially her."_

_With that, Mello left Roger's office. However, instead of going to his room to pack, he went straight to June's room. Despite what had been said, he still can't completely believe that she left without seeing for himself. _

_He arrives at June's room and opens the door. She never locks the door so anyone could get in, but if someone stole something, she would track them down and threaten to kick their asses. A threat that she will follow through on as everybody knows. _

_The door swings open. Mello steps inside, holding his breath. Her bed is made and looks cold. It feels as though all the warmth that used to be there left with its occupant. _

_The glass jar where she keeps all her savings is empty. Her backpack is missing, as well as her pocket knife (that she kept hidden under her mattress). Mello knew that June tends to be a practical person at times, so even though only few of her possessions are missing, they are all items that can be useful._

_Mello's rage only increases at this site. There is no denying it now. The bitch had run off without leaving as much as a note explaining her actions._

_That settles it. Mello leaves June's room and goes to pack. _

If that's how it is, then fine. I don't need you to beat Near, anyway. I'll solve this case and beat Near on my own. You mean nothing to me anymore.

……………………

Mello opens his eyes after what felt like a long time.

_Yeah, that's right. I don't need her. I don't even care about her anymore._

Mello didn't know how much time had passed while he was thinking, but just as he is about to take a bite of a chocolate bar, he hears the door click. Hal is already home.

Mello stands up and takes his place by the door, holding a gun in one hand and the chocolate bar in the other.

…………………………………………………..

Near sits on the floor of headquarters, pondering his next move. He has his suspicions of the new L that took over the Kira case in the real L's place, but that is not what his problem is now.

His problem is trying to track down who has got to be the most elusive person he knows. Near knows that she had boasted on her martial art skills in the past, but he didn't think that she would be able to vanish so completely from everyone.

She may as well be a ninja. It wouldn't surprise Near if she really is one, too.

Near looks up at the monitor once again. The video playing is from a security camera from a café in San Diego. On the screen is a girl that Near knows to be 18 with short, wavy, dark blond hair. Depending on what light you see her in, her hair color can appear to vary between shades of gold and brown. Near knows that for a fact. He also knows that she had a haircut recently. She probably did this so that she won't be as recognizable if someone, like Near, tries to find her.

This video is from over a month ago and that was the last time Near had spotted any evidence indicating her location.

Near is starting to get annoyed by her. It's almost as if this is just a game between the two of them, and he's starting to think that he may just lose this one.

Near concentrates on where she may be right now.

_This would probably be easier if Mello agreed to at least help search for her. Not only do we expect that she has information regarding the Kira case, but her brother wouldn't forgive us if we just let her get herself killed. _

Although, now that Near thinks about it, Mello doesn't know who her brother is. He ran off before he could be filled in on this critical fact. This fact may only be of importance to him and Mello, but it is still an important fact.

This fact had been her best kept secret at Wammy's, other than her name, of course.

The image on the screen suddenly changes to an image from one of the cameras outside, interrupting Near's thoughts.

Hal Lidner came back, this time with Mello holding a gun to her head.

Commander Rester and Gevanni are both alarmed, but Near is able to keep his cool as he instructs them to let Mello and Lidner in.

_I guess now is as good of a time as any to inform him._


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi! It's me again. I have to say that I'm a bit worried about the lack of feedback. I know that this is only the 5****th**** chapter and all, but I really need the feedback on what you think of the story. The only evidence that I have that someone likes this story are the two people that story alerted me. Lack of response can be a bit discouraging. **

**However, as you can see, this is not stopping me from continuing the story. I may even be able to post more chapters more often soon because school is almost over! XD**

**I'm also going to start posting an FMA story soon, so be sure to watch out for that! My OC in that story will have the same physical description, due to lack of creativity; however, I want to use a different name. However, I'm having a hard time coming up with one, so if you can suggest some names for me, I will be grateful for it.**

**Ok, this is a long enough author's note, so without further ado……**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, or FMA, in any way, shape, or form. I do, however, own my OC, June. **

Chapter 5

Mello walks into Near's headquarters with the gun held to Hal's head. He has no intention of shooting her. This is just to let him in to see Near.

"All of you lower your guns. It's pointless to start shedding blood here."

"But Mello killed our fellow….he also killed the director of the NPA."

"There is no proof of that. Also, it doesn't matter. Our goal is to catch Kira."

Everyone complied.

After Hal stops Mello from shooting Near, Near gives Mello back his photo.

Mello then tells Near information about the Death Note, shinigami, and the fake rules. However, he intentionally leaves out the fact that he has seen June. He isn't about to let Near use her and whatever information she has to solve his "puzzle". No, he isn't about to let Near have her on his side.

Just as Mello turns to leave, Near suddenly speaks up.

"Oh, before you leave, I have a question for you."

Mello stops and turns around. He has a bad feeling he knows where this is heading, but decides to hear him out.

"What is it?"

Near grabs a remote and points it at one of the screens. With the press of a button, the screen changes to show a video of a person, looks like a girl, sitting at a café table. The girl has short, wavy dark blonde hair.

"You haven't happened to see this person lately or know of her whereabouts, do you?"

_Shit!_ Mello had been hoping that Near was unaware of her appearance, but apparently he had been looking for her because the date on the video is from a month ago.

Mello doesn't say anything, just starts glaring at Near and the screen behind him.

"What? Do you not recognize her? I know she got a haircut, but you of all people shouldn't have too much trouble recognizing her. You two were pretty close to each other, weren't you?"

Mello is getting pissed off again.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Childish response, maybe, but he isn't going to give Near any information on her.

"Of course you do. There is no point in playing dumb here."

_Why that little-_

"It is important that we find her as soon as possible."

"Why is it so important that she is found? Why should I even care about her in the first place?" Mello is getting agitated. June's the one who decided to run off. Why should he care? He only cares about beating Near, something that could become more difficult to do if Near is able to recruit her.

Near turns to look at Mello. He knows that Mello is just trying not to give Near any information because he knows that she knows about the Death Note. She may even know something that they didn't, which is why she could be helpful in the case.

However, that is not the only reason to try to find her. Mello doesn't know the other reason, and, even though she may kick his ass for this later, Near needs to tell him.

After all, looking after her is something her brother wanted Mello to do anyway.

"We have reason to believe that she has information pertaining to the Kira case that may help us. Plus, knowing her capabilities, she can help us with the investigation."

Mello knew it. He knew that would be his reason, but he isn't about to tell him anything. If June is going to help anyone, she is going to help _him_ beat Near, but he isn't about to ask for her help.

"There is also another reason for finding her."

This caught Mello's attention. What other reason could there be for Near to go out of his way to find someone if it isn't for the case. Isn't the priority here to avenge L? To solve a case that L couldn't? Near wasn't even a close friend of June's from when they were at Wammy's (something Mello made sure of).

Why would Near waste time from the Kira case to find one person?

"You remember that she had a brother, right?"

_Had a brother…?_

"Yes. What happened to him?"

So he caught on to the word "had". At least he isn't letting his emotions make him deaf.

"He's dead. Kira killed him about five years ago."

Mello's breathe catches in his throat as he remembers June's behavior five years ago, before she left. She had been quiet and inactive. She wasn't even listening to the music on her iPod. Her earphones normally appeared to be glued to her eardrums half the time. She also was starting to withdraw from everyone.

He remembers because this behavior made him worried. She pretty much listened to her iPod all the time and makes sure to annoy him to no end everyday they had known each other. She had even gone so far as to kick his ass occasionally, sometimes for no good reason.

Mello starts to make sense of her behavior prior to her absence. He knows that she really cares about her brother. She had said that her brother couldn't take care of her himself because of his job. Her brother had been a detective, and as such, took on dangerous cases. He didn't want his sister involved, so she had been sent to Wammy's. Still, she didn't stop caring about him.

He can't imagine how much pain she went through upon hearing this herself.

"Did she ever tell you her brother's name?" Near already knows his answer but asks anyway, in the hopes of getting him to realize the truth himself.

_The pieces had been there all along. She left them there herself. All that's left is to put them together._

Mello snaps out of his reverie. He scoffs at this question.

"You know as well as I do that she didn't tell anyone her brother's name."

"Yes, because to reveal her brother's identity carelessly could have landed her in trouble with criminals who would want leverage to use against her brother."

Mello already knew this. June told him this herself.

However, she did, at one time, tell him that she may tell him her brother's name as well as her own in the future. He didn't see why she would tell him, though. Maybe she was referring to after her brother's death, when it doesn't matter anymore.

However, she didn't stick to her word there. Mello figures that she left soon after hearing about his death. She left before Mello and Near learned about-

Something in Mello's brain clicks as he just realizes something.

June's behavior changed and she left shortly before Mello and Near heard about L's death. That would mean that her brother died around the same time L did.

June's brother was a detective.

He also remembers that she told him that her brother had been working on a serial murder case before she left…..

_It can't be. This is June we're talking about._

"I take it you know who her brother is." This is a statement. He can see now that Near had been hinting that he knew who her brother is.

Mello now has his suspicions, but he needs to confirm them from Near.

"Yes, I do."

"Then, who was he?" Mello has a feeling he knows the answer, but he still can't believe it. Why would she not tell him this?

"June would have wanted to tell you this herself, and she'll kick my ass for this later, but you should know that her brother was none other than L."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello! It's me! Here with chapter 6! **** Hmmm….I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. There's not a whole lot that happens I this chapter, and I apologize for that. I just felt that I needed to throw in some explanations in this chapter about June. It's not the whole story, but I think it would suffice for now. Just let me know what you think about the story. As a reminder, reviews would be helpful and appreciated. That is all I need to say. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note in any way, but I do own June, my OC.**

Chapter 6

Mello knew that Near was going to say that. He knew that he would confirm his growing suspicions, but he still couldn't completely believe.

June, the girl who always had tested his patience on a daily basis, who kicked his ass on a near daily basis and not give a damn that he was ranked above her, who, despite his rants and threats and verbal abuse (because he couldn't kick her ass the way she kicked his), he had regarded as a close friend, had been related to his idol, the very man he had looked up to.

Everyone at Wammy's wanted to be the new L. No one could have guessed that L would send his sister into their midst. Nobody even knew that their idol even _had_ a living relative, or even speculated it in the first place.

Silence hangs in the air after Near's announcement. Near takes the silence as Mello finally recognizing the signs and slowly accepting them. To be honest, Near didn't even know this fact until after hearing about L's death. He knew that there was something more about June than what she led everyone to believe with how she acted on a couple of occasions, but he would have never guessed that she was related to the late L.

"How do you know that this is true?"

Near snaps out of his trance as Mello asks.

"Do you have evidence of this?"

Mello knew that, no matter how sure Near was, he wouldn't stop investigating until he had physical evidence. He has to have something to prove this.

"Yes, I actually do. Gevanni, bring the file." Gevanni hesitates at first, and then walks out of the room.

A few minutes later, he comes back, carrying a folder.

"There is only one copy of this file and I didn't put it into a computer system in case of hackers. If it comes down to it, all I have to do is burn this and all evidence is gone."

Gevanni hands the folder to Near. Near takes it and holds it out for Mello.

Mello takes the file and opens the folder. His heart starts beating faster as his eyes scan the file, until he sees what he needs to see.

In the file is June's real name and birthday, but Mello already knew her birthday and only glances at her real name. What he really looks at is the second page, where the test results are. For some reason, June had to take a blood test and the DNA results confirm that June is, without a doubt, L's sister.

_So, it's actually true then._ No amount of denial could change the facts.

Once Mello lets the information sink in, he looks at Near.

"How did you get this?"

Near went back to twirling his hair with his finger.

"Apparently, L wanted to make sure that his successors knew about June so that they would be able to take care of her if they have to. In this case, we are the ones who were supposed to look after her once we heard about his death."

Mello's eyes widen a bit here. L had trusted them to look after his sister in his place. Did he know that she still would have been young, too young to take care of herself, when someone or something came out and killed him?

Mello starts to feel guilty. He isn't about to admit it, but he does. L had trusted them to look after his sister, who must have been precious to him, and Mello just walked out on everybody. True, June actually walked out on _him_, but Mello didn't even try to find her.

"Actually, to be more specific, L had trusted you to watch after her."

Mello stiffens.

_Me? Why did he choose me?_

Near can sense that Mello is starting to regret his actions, but he needs to explain to Mello why L chose him and not the highest ranking person, who is currently the successor.

"The reason he picked you instead of just whoever succeeded him was because he trusted you more on the matter. L left behind some instructions concerning what he wanted to be done about June. Obviously, with how old she was when he died, she wasn't supposed to be out on her own. L trusted her well-being to you, at least until she was old enough to take care of herself and decide what to do herself at that point."

Near pauses to let the information to sink in as Mello silently listens. He continues after a moment of silence.

"L had Roger set up cameras to watch her progress and how she interacted with everyone else. He was most interested with how she interacted with the two of us. He noticed how she was always around you. To L, that told him that she trusted you the most out of everyone else at Wammy's. She wouldn't have objected if she was place under the care of the person she trusted the most. It also helped that that person was one of his successors."

This is starting to hit Mello hard. L trusted Mello because June trusted him. L knew June well enough to trust her judgment.

_But if that was the case, why did she leave?_

That is the only question that is bothering him at the moment.

As if he is reading his mind, Near speaks up again.

"Of course, it would have only worked if she found out about his death at the same time as we did. If she found out before anyone else, she would have taken the opportunity to seek solitude, as she already did. L knew that she would start withdrawing and wanted one of us to stop her from running off. Especially since that, in case of emergency, he taught her how to avoid capture and how to hide for long periods of time."

Mello is speechless. He is still angry at June for leaving him behind without so much as an explanation, both at Wammy's and at the mafia hideout. But, he couldn't stay as angry after hearing all of this. Right now, he is just pissed that he had to hear this from Near instead of June herself.

Near watches Mello as he processes what he just heard. Near didn't tell him everything, mainly the whole reason as to why L trusted Mello to watch after her.

Near knows it would be better if he doesn't bring it up.

It's true that part of the reason for L's decision is because he knew that June trusted Mello out of everyone else at Wammy's. Even if she did went out of her way to torment him at times that was how she was. L saw the same thing through the cameras that Near had seen first hand when they were all at the institute.

Mello will deny this now, but he actually did care about her. L probably knew as well as Near did that Mello wouldn't have let her run off or willingly put her in danger. L must have been very concern with her safety and well-being, which was why he must have sent her to Wammy's in the first place.

Not many people would question the appearance of another orphan at an orphanage. She also went through the same education and training in case she did need to inherit L's title.

She knew L better than anyone else. She probably would have known if nobody was capable or worthy of becoming the next L. She had also been taught by him personally, so there is a high probability that she is more qualified and more capable of inheriting L's title than even Near and Mello.

She just never exhibited her talents. That was why nobody could have known.

This was everything Near had been told along with L's death as well as what he speculated what L's thoughts were concerning June. Mello had left before being informed, so it was up to Near to tell him now. He needs to know if he is to take up the job he was supposed to get.

Mello just stands there trying to process everything Near told him. He still can't completely believe it, but he knows that here is no reason for Near to make this all up.

Now that Mello thinks back, he realizes that when June talked about her brother and he was comparing him to L, she never denied or confirmed any connection between the two. She had never once said anything like "You're right, my brother is nothing like L."

She didn't exactly hint at anything, but she did leave behind some kind of clue. L must have told her not to tell anyone for security reasons. She must have wanted him to figure it out so that she wouldn't technically be disobeying her brother.

Mello had failed her test, but she still trusted him the most out of everyone else.

But still, despite the fact that she is suppose to have trusted him more, she still ran off.

That is the only thing that he is mad about now. The next time he sees her, he is going to get answers out of her.

Mello closes his eyes and takes a breath. When he opens his eyes again, he speaks up.

"If this is all true, then I guess I better tell you this."

Near looks back at Mello, wondering what it is he has to say.

"I did see her a while ago when I was still in the mafia. I didn't know it was her at first, she just happened to accidentally stumble across our hideout. We had the shinigami and one of the men had traded for the shinigami eyes, the ability to see a person's name when you see their face for half of your remaining lifespan. He tried to see her name, but for some reason, he was only able to see her lifespan. Her name remained hidden."

Near's eyes widen at this. He didn't know that such a thing is possible, but that means that they need to find her fast.

"If that is the case, it is important that we find her soon. If the Kira with the eyes sees her and not her name, he may report it to the real Kira and he'll want to investigate her. He'll want to make sure that this is just some fluke and not an ability that can be taught to others. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to kill his enemy's if they knew the secret as well. She just became the most conspicuous person in the world to Kira."

Mello's breathe catches in his throat. He didn't think that Kira would find any interest in her since she hadn't done anything to reveal herself to him. But Near's right, if Kira accidentally sees her….

Mello suddenly turns around away from Near.

"That is all I have to tell you."

Mello walks off to leave.

"Near, are you sure it's a good idea to let Mello go like that. If he finds her first, we won't be able to get any information from her."

It was Gevanni who spoke.

Near turns back to the screen and twirls his hair.

"That would be ok. In fact, that would actually be ideal."

Everyone else looks confused.

"Why would it be ideal?" asks Hal.

"Because Kira and the Task Force don't know anything about her, especially the fact that she is in on the case. They won't think that she is an associate of Mello's if they happen to see her. She could get a lot done secretly and quietly if her face doesn't get associated with ours, especially if we bring in someone from the Task Force to interrogate. Plus, Mello knows how to stay out of the open, so no attention should be brought to her if she's with him."

Near knows that, judging from her personality, she wouldn't care who actually catches Kira. If she thinks Near's help is needed, she'll contact him whether Mello likes it or not. Near knows that if she hadn't left in the first place, she would have encouraged Mello to join forces with Near. She actually would have had better chances of convincing him than Roger.

But that was the past. Right now, they need to find the elusive little "ninja" and get her more involve with the case with them before she decides to do something drastic. She has more control of her emotions than Mello, but not by a whole lot.

Near knows that Mello still cares about her, he just won't admit it.

Near doesn't know how much L's death had changed June, but he has a feeling that she is anticipating Mello's wrath, which would explain why she didn't stick with him when they accidentally ran into each other.

_Who will get to her first, Mello or Kira? The race begins._


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, hey, hey! No, this is not Fat Albert. This is MaskedAngel, as usual. I know the last chapter wasn't all that exciting, but, luckily for you, there is some action in this chapter. I just wanted all explanations out of the way at once. I may add more, but it won't be as much in one chapter, hopefully. Well, I talked long enough, so I'll just go to the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death in any way, share, or form. If I did, Matt and Mello would have lived and Light…..would still die. Sorry fan girls, but I don't like him. His arrogance annoys me. I do, however, own my OC, June.**

Chapter 7

Mello walks a couple of blocks away from Near's headquarters before pulling out his cell phone. He dials the number and waits for someone to pick up.

_Ring…ring…ring…_

_Come on. I know you're still up playing video games. _

_Hello?_

Finally, he picks up.

"Matt, I need your help with something."

_What is it?_

Mello hesitates before answering.

"Do you remember June?"

There is a pause before Matt answers.

_Yes. Why do you ask? Did something happen?_

Mello is going to have to explain everything to Matt from the beginning, so he can't talk to him on the phone. He needs to see him in person.

"Kind of. I need your help to find her."

There is another pause before Matt speaks up again.

_Why do you need to find her all of a sudden?_

Mello sighs. Unlike him, Matt never held a grudge against June for vanishing on everyone. He didn't like it any better than Mello did, but he figured that she had a very good reason. They were, after all, close friends. Plus, she did have more emotional control than Mello, so they know that it wasn't spontaneous.

Instead of going into a rage, Matt actually worried a bit about her. He considered her to be like a sister, after all. He still is worried about her, especially now that Mello is calling about her.

"I can't explain everything over the phone. I need to talk to you in person. Are you in New York?"

_Yes._

"Where are you staying at?"

Matt gives Mello the address of the motel that he is staying at.

"Ok. I'll be there in a few minutes."

…..

Mello is walking up the steps of the motel to Matt's room. Mello knows that, since this is concerning June, he is going to want to know everything that has happened. After all, the three of them had been almost inseparable back at Wammy's.

Mello finds the correct room and knocks.

Matt hears the knocking and pause his game. He gets up from the couch and goes to the door.

Matt opens the door to see Mello. As usual, he is wearing nothing but black leather clothing and a rosary. As well as a serious look on his face.

Mello walks in and sits on the couch and Matt follows his lead.

After a moment of silence, Matt speaks up.

"So, what happened? Why do we need to find June all of a sudden after five years?"

It's not that Matt doesn't want to see June. He actually misses her. He is just wondering what Mello's reason is after not giving a damn about her for so long.

Mello takes a breath before saying, "It's a bit of a long story, so listen up because I'm not going to repeat myself."

Matt nods his head to signal to Mello that he understands and to start explaining.

Mello starts out with explaining how she accidentally stumbled across the mafia hideout and started kicking everyone's asses who tried to catch and restrain her. He tells Matt about how the man with the shinigami eyes couldn't see her name, only her lifespan.

Matt's eyes widen a bit upon hearing this, but he sits silently and patiently waits to hear the rest.

Mello then tells him about how June escaped and that afterwards the mafia hideout was destroyed, but not by her.

Mello finally gets to the point where he went into Near's headquarters by holding one of his people hostage and tells Matt everything Near told him. He tells him about how June is related to the late L, how her well-being was supposed to be entrusted to L's successors, and how she appears to know about the notebook.

He also explains how having no visible name makes her the most conspicuous person in the world to Kira.

Matt sits quietly as he processes everything he just heard. Matt starts to understand June's behavior from before she left. Matt also understands why Mello wants to find her now. Yes, knowing what she knows about the Death Note and Kira can be useful if it's something they don't already know. However, Matt thinks that, even though Mello will deny it now, he actually is worried about her.

Matt was there with them at Wammy's, so he knows that Mello cared about June. He wouldn't admit it, so there was no point in asking, but Mello wanted her by his side. He always tried to disguise how jealous he got when he saw June with Near. She was normally just challenging him to a game of some sort, but sometimes, halfway through the game, Mello dragged her off and said that they need to study.

June hated having to study. She would actually want to spar with someone to practice her martial arts. That "someone" typically ends up to be Mello, and he normally ends up landing flat on his back or face with her sitting on his stomach or back saying something like "Ha, ha! I win!"

Despite all the arguments they had, Mello cared about her and the feeling was mutual. Matt saw all the instances when Mello blushed in her presence and when June would smile warmly when he was in the room. Mello may not have noticed June's feelings towards him, but Matt is pretty sure she picked up on Mello's feelings towards her. She is too good to not have had picked up on them.

June knows Mello too well. That is probably why she didn't stay when she accidentally found him. She would know how Mello felt when she left and probably feels guilty about it too.

Matt sighs. When they find her, he is going to talk to her. The air between June and Mello needs to be cleared before things can get better between the two.

"Alright, I'll help. Do you know where she is?"

Mello looks down.

"No. The last time I saw her was in L.A., but I don't think she'll still be there. We're just going to have to keep our eyes and ears open for any clues about her."

Matt nods. He thought that would be the case. They are just going to have to keep a lookout for her while working on the Kira case. He just hopes that she's okay. Hearing about her brother's death must have been hard on her and, on top of that, she had been alone for so long. He doesn't know how she is now. He'll just have to wait and hope that he'll be able to recognize her.

….

A few days have passed, and Kira worshippers are outside of Near's hideout, trying to break in.

Mello is in the building across the street, watching the scene before him while on the phone.

_Mello, we are going to make our escape now, so we are shutting off Mr. Mogi's phone._

The phone call ends there. Mello shuts his phone and prepares to leave himself.

Before he turns around to leave, though, he looks down at the riot caused by the raining money. His eyes travel over all the stupid people scrambling to grab as much money as they can when he suddenly sees something.

At first, he didn't know what it was he saw. Then his eyes see a young woman walking away from the mob. She has short, wavy dark blond hair and is wearing a blue jacket.

Mello's eyes widen.

_Is it her?_

He can't really tell if it is her, since her back is to him, but he isn't about to let this one go unless he is sure.

He flips open his phone and calls Matt.

_Ring…ring…ring…hello?_

"Matt, I think I found her."

_Where did you see her?_

"She is walking away from Near's building. I'm going to follow her. You come by with the car just in case."

_Okay._

The call ends there.

Mello walks out of the building and starts heading in the direction she is going.

He eventually catches up to her, but she is on the opposite side of the road.

Mello is just planning on following her for a while to see where she goes. He wants Matt with the car to be there when he confronts her just in case they need to drag her out of there if she struggles.

A couple of blocks later and June still doesn't notice Mello's presence on the other side of the street. She is too busy with her own thoughts.

_Aarrgh! Demegawa is such an annoying dumbass. I was so close to consulting Near for some help and he comes along and chases Near away. I finally found him, too. I don't think I'll be able to find him again after that. Stupid Demegawa. Stupid Kira. That bastard's gonna pay. He is gonna pay for taking my brother from me._

June is pissed. Her instincts about New York had been right. Now she has to start all over again. She never let her rage build up before. Now she can barely contain it.

June then notices that there are footsteps following her. They are right behind her, too. She probably is just being paranoid, but she can't help but put her guard up as she continues walking down the street.

Mello notices that someone is following June. He would have just pass the man off as another pedestrian if it isn't for the fact that the man is staring at her intently. June seems to have noticed this because she appears to be more conscious of her surroundings. The man is wearing dark clothing and appears to be trying to sneak up on her.

Mello starts watching the two, wondering where Matt is with the car. They may need a quick escape soon.

Suddenly, the man pulls out an object from the pocket of the dark-colored jacket he is wearing. It turns out to be a switchblade.

June hears the _ching_ as the switchblade comes out and reacts immediately.

The man lunges forward and tries to grab her around the torso. June ducks before he catches her and places her hands on the ground.

She kicks her legs up and hits the assailant in the stomach.

While the man recovers from the blow, June turns around as she plants her feet on the ground and gets back up.

Recovered from the kick, the man slices at her with the switchblade, but she dodges by leaning away from the blade and stepping back each time.

The man then lunges forward with the intention to stab her, but instead, she grabs the wrist of the hand that has the knife.

As she places her thumb over the pressure point in his hand, June pulls the man forward using his momentum and elbows him in the jugular.

As the man struggles to breath, she presses on his hand which makes him drop the knife. She then steps to the side and sweeps her leg against his ankles. The man goes down.

He is still coughing from the blow to his throat, but he still reaches out for his knife, until June bends over and picks it up before he does.

June looks at the knife, then at her surroundings. She notices that they are in front of an alleyway, and just inside the alleyway is a big, rusted old dumpster. Since the dumpster is already open, she just chucks the knife in there so that her assailant won't get it.

"Hey miss, are you okay?"

June turns to see a couple of people coming her way. The one talking was a man in his twenties.

"We saw the whole thing. He didn't hurt you, did he?"

June shakes her head.

"That's good."

The rest of the people in the group are restraining her assailant as he struggles with a scared look on his face.

June turns around to walk off as the man focuses his attention on the culprit.

"Don't worry, we are going to show him to Kira, so he'll get what's…uh, miss?"

The man finally notices that she started walking off.

"Hey, miss! Don't you want an escort after what's happened?"

She doesn't stop, just keeps walking.

"June! Is that you?"

June stops and slowly turns around. She is shocked to see a man with crimson hair, orange goggles, and a red and black striped shirt.

"June, are you okay? I saw the whole thing. Are you hurt?"

June shakes her head. She can't believe that this is actually Matt that is standing in front of her. She feels relieved. She knows that Matt wouldn't hate her as much as Mello would for ditching him. He will want answers, but he'll be more understanding than Mello.

"That's good. Here let me give you a ride. You must be shaken up from that."

She nods her head and wordlessly follows Matt to his car.

"You take care, miss."

Matt and June climb into his car, which was just a few yards away, and Matt drives off with June in tow.

Mello breathes a sigh of relief. Matt had shown up just in time to see the whole fight between June and her assailant and was able to get her out of there without appearing suspicious.

Mello can't help but feel relieved that she came out of that fight unscathed and that she is safely with them now. Then he starts to wonder, did she get into similar fights before? If she did, did she always get out without a scratch, or did she actually lose a couple fights?

Mello pushes the thought away.

_No. There is no way June would lose in a fight against a gorilla. Even if she did get hurt, those guys are going to have to answer to me._

Mello stops his thoughts there. What is he thinking? None of that matters now. What matters is getting some answers.

Although, Mello can't help but think that he managed to beat Near to June not only once, but _twice_ now.

Near is never going to have June. She was Mello's then, and she still is now.

Mello can't help but smirk at this thought as he walks in the direction of the motel he and Matt are currently staying at.


	8. Chapter 8

**It's time for chapter 8! I know that I have already said this before, but I need name suggestions for my OC in the FMA story. If you need a hint about her personality, it's probably closer to Izumi's or General Armstrong's personalities. Yes, it is going to be a fun story to write. Well, the only things left to do now are to ask you to R&R and to go to the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note in any way, shape or form. I do, however, own my OC, June.**

Chapter 8

Both Matt and June are silent as Matt drives in the direction of the motel.

Matt is relieved that he was able to find her. True, her hair is a lot shorter than it used to be, but he is still able to recognize her. Even if only barely.

Matt figures that her brother's death has had a huge impact on her, but she's not like how she used to be. She used to be so lively and energetic.

Hell, he wouldn't mind if she called him a wuss because then he would know that she is still herself.

Matt is a bit worried about how she will react to seeing Mello again. She has to be aware that out of all the people at Wammy's, her leaving had impacted him the most.

He is going to have to keep an eye on her and try to talk to her.

June is aware that Matt is worried about her. After all, she used to pick on him and Mello on a daily basis. She would steal Mello's chocolate or one of Matt's video games and have them go on a wild goose chase after her. She would also kick both of their asses if they either started fighting with each other or she was bored.

Whatever happened to that part of her? The part that Matt and Mello knew so well? Dead. That part of her died along with L. She knows what she told L about her take on revenge, which to her is a waste of time, and she knows that she had promised L that she wouldn't let his death get her down. She would just continue his legacy with his successors, which in this case one of them is actually one of her friends.

But, she broke her promise. Both her promise to L and to Mello. L is dead, but she knows that he would be disappointed in her for not honoring her promises. Mello is still alive, much to her relief, but she knows that he is angry as hell at her. What should she do if she runs into him again? She knows it's inevitable that she'll see him again on this case. She doesn't think that there is anything that she can do that will get Mello to forgive her.

Who is she kidding? There is no point in asking Mello for forgiveness. She'll just help with the Kira case, even if it doesn't atone for the broken promises and emotional pain she has caused.

She won't ask for his forgiveness, or for him to even understand. She'll just tell him what he has the right to know and she'll disappear from his life again. Even if he does ask for her help, she knows that he'll want her to disappear once everything about the case has been said and done.

The thought of her having to leave again makes her sad, since it also means living in loneliness once again. Oh well. She has already lived on her own for the past five years. She can handle being alone for a few more years, right?

Matt parks the car in front of the motel. He turns to look at June.

The look on her face sends a red flag to him. She really shouldn't have run off on her own. The loneliness must have been killing her on the inside.

She may have been raised by L himself, but she is not a hermit herself. She values the company of others. Matt sets a goal to get her back to her old self and make sure she doesn't disappear on them again.

He decides to start by trying to get her to talk again. She hasn't said a single word since they met earlier.

"Well, we're here."

June snaps out of her trance as she realizes that the car is in park in front of a motel.

She turns to look at Matt. He offers her a small smile.

She smiles back, though it doesn't reach her eyes.

They both climb out of the car and walk into the motel. Matt takes her hand as though afraid that she'll disappear if he takes his eyes off of her and leads her to the stairs.

The both of them climb the stairs in silence. They continue in silence until they get into the room.

As Matt locks the door, June walks over to the couch and sits down. She stares at the floor and notices the game station plugged into the TV. She smiles at this.

_It looks like Matt never really did change. That's good to know. It makes one of us at least._

She wishes that she can say the same for herself.

Matt watches June as she smiles a sad smile at the sight of the game station.

He can't stand to see her like this. He wants her to flip him on his back, shout a string of profanities, steal his games, beat his ass to next Tuesday, ANYTHING that the old her would have done without hesitating.

Matt sighs. He is going to do something about this.

First thing he needs to do is to get her to open up to him again.

He walks over to her and sits next to her on the couch

He stares at her for a few minutes before finally saying something to her.

"Are you ok?" Probably not the best question to ask her now, but damn it, he needs to start somewhere.

June snaps out of her trance (she seems to be getting into a trance a lot lately) and turns her head to look at Matt.

He is looking at her with worry-filled eyes. She is worrying him because she isn't being herself. Matt misses the old her, she can see that.

"You know that you can tell me anything, right?"

He wants her to open up. The only other time she had been reluctant to open up to anybody was her first few days at Wammy's, before she got to know Matt and Mello.

When she doesn't answer, Matt decides to speak again.

"I want to help you, but you have to tell me what's wrong. Will you please tell me?"

For some reason, this makes her break down. She starts to tremble and then, before Matt can react, she leans towards him and grabs the front of his shirt.

She pulls herself to him and rests her head against his chest.

It takes Matt a minute to realize that she is crying. This is a feat in itself because never, in the time that he has known her, did he see her cry. She would get injuries from some of her stunts, but she never cried about them. She was always so tough.

Matt gets over the shock as he wraps his arms around her and pulls her closer to him and into his lap. She needs someone to comfort her, and she didn't have anyone to do so for five years when she needed someone to be there the most.

Matt notices that she didn't answer his questions, but she is reaching out for him at least.

June cries for the first time in a long time. Yes, she did cry when she found out about L's death, but she didn't really cry much in the years that followed. Instead, she shuts out most of her emotions and left Wammy's without saying anything to anyone.

She knew that they would have asked for her help, that they would have expected her to keep her promise, but…she just couldn't deal with the Kira case then. She knew that if she got involved back then, her emotions would have taken over. Her grieving and rage would only have hindered them in the case.

She should have said something about it to them, but she couldn't get herself to say anything. She loved her brother very much. When he died, the carefree side of her that they knew died as well. She didn't think Mello would have understood why she couldn't take on the case back then, and that he would have forced her to come along.

That is why she disappeared from his life, despite the emotional pain that is still plaguing her today.

She is glad that Matt found her. She tried to be tough and pretend that the loneliness didn't bother her, but she is at her breaking point.

She misses the warmth of another person's company. It has been so long since she has been in the presence of a friend. She needed someone to comfort her, to tell her that everything will be okay. She has been an emotional wreck for a while now.

She knows that she'll have to disappear again, so she'll just enjoy Matt's warmth and comfort while she can.

….

Mello is walking up the stairs to the motel room that he and Matt, and now June, share.

Mello is actually a bit anxious about seeing her, despite himself. He knows from the way she talked about her brother that her brother meant the world to her.

Mello was pretty upset himself when he heard about L's death, but she must have been distraught. He can't help but feel that he should have done something different when June started to become listless.

But, there's no changing the past. He'll just have to make sure that she doesn't run off again and to try to get her to be herself again while getting her to work on the case.

Yes, she was annoying as hell back at Wammy's, but he prefers the wild kid he knew over the emotionless drone she turned into before leaving. She is more predictable and herself then.

Mello reaches the motel room and pulls out his copy of the key. He turns the key in the lock and opens the door.

As he steps over the threshold into the room, he sees June on the couch curled up on Matt's lap with her head against his chest and his arms wrapped around her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey there! We are now at chapter 9! Before we get started, I would like to thank RAINBOW RANT for her review. And for the name you suggested (Pulls out a cookie) here's your cookie. I actually like the name. If anyone else has a name they want to suggest for the FMA story, just send it in with a review and I'll put it into consideration. Now, time for the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note in any way. I do, however, own my OC, June.**

Chapter 9

It takes a minute for the scene to register to Mello.

June is curled up in Matt's lap with her head against his chest and holding onto fistfuls of his shirt. Matt has his arms wrapped around her almost protectively and his head is resting on top of hers.

When it finally does register to him, rage suddenly flashes through him. Rage and….jealously?

No, no, no. He is NOT jealous, but, damn it, does he find this scene infuriating somehow.

For some reason, he can't stand how he sees her snuggling up to Matt like that. She has never been so weak before. And then there's Matt, wrapping his arms around her as though encouraging this weak behavior.

Although, Mello can't seem to write this off as her suddenly becoming weak. He suddenly thinks of another possibility for this behavior, and this one he hates more than her being weak.

And it makes Mello feel betrayed. But why does he feel betrayed? It's not like he actually cares about her like that. Because he doesn't. He never has. That is what he needs to keep telling himself.

Somehow, thinking that still doesn't help his temper.

Matt looks up to see Mello. He is frozen in the doorway looking at the two of them. He catches the look of rage and jealously flashing through his eyes.

_Shit! He's blowing this out of proportion. I'm just comforting her._

Matt is going to have to think of a way to get Mello to listen to him.

Matt is glad that June has her eyes shut; otherwise, if she sees Mello now, she might take advantage of the open door behind him. And they both know that they won't be able to stop her.

Mello sees Matt looking at him and scoffs. He shuts and locks the door behind him and makes his way to the chair that sits next to the couch.

June hears the door shut and looks up a minute later. She sees Mello sitting on the chair with an almost hateful look on his face. He isn't staring at her but she still cringes slightly from it.

She already knew that she would bump into Mello again; she just didn't think it would be so soon, though.

Matt feels a tremor from June's body against his. He knows he's partly to blame for June's sudden discomfort because he didn't tell her that he is working with Mello on the Kira case, but Mello isn't helping the situation at all with the look on his face.

She is afraid of Mello's reaction towards her. That much is apparent to Matt.

He needs to tell her that Mello actually wanted Matt's help to find her as well as help with the Kira case. That he was worried about her, although he won't admit to that. Matt is going to have to tell her that when they are alone again.

Mello watches the two from his perch on the chair. He sees June press herself closer to Matt, if that is even possible. Matt looks down at her and starts rubbing her back in a comforting manner.

This makes him sick. Why MATT of all people? Why would she choose someone like HIM? He always preferred to be indoors sitting in front of a TV screen playing a video game. She was always energetic and couldn't sit still for long unless she was listening to her iPod. She always terrorized him for not being so active and kept calling him a wuss.

Surely she would want someone that can take charge and take risks. Someone who would actually be able to fight back against her…Someone like him….

Wait, what is he thinking? He doesn't care about her like that. He just wants her around to help him beat Near to Kira. That is all. He doesn't care what happens to her afterward.

Mello focuses his attention on June's face. She is looking right at him. Is that…fear? Is she scared of him? What's more, are those TEARS in her eyes?

This is JUNE. She doesn't _do_ scared, and she sure as hell doesn't do _tears_.

What the hell happened to her?

Mello doesn't think that he can stand this new June. She's not the way he remembers her.

She was so strong and he sure as hell didn't scare her. This isn't going to do. He is going to have to do something.

His hand slips into his pocket where it wraps around the object that lays hidden in there. He noticed this object in her room back at Wammy's.

For some reason, he went back to her room after packing and before leaving as though he still didn't completely believe that she really did leave without him.

He saw it lying on her desk. He doesn't know why he didn't notice it before, but he couldn't believe that she actually left it behind. He also doesn't know why he took it with him.

He always had it with him, though he never used it. But, maybe now that she's here, she'll want it back.

But he's not going to give it back to her now. He's still mad at her.

June notices that Mello's expression changed from hate and disgust to surprise. Well, she supposes that isn't too surprising. Since when does the great June cry?

Even though she didn't want to, she peels herself out of Matt's embrace and stands up in front of the couch.

Both guys take note of this and wonder what she is going to do.

She just offers Matt a small smile, much to Mello's jealous dismay, and goes to the other room that she guesses to be the bedroom.

"'Night." With that, she goes into the bedroom and shuts the door.

The guys sit there in silence for a while. Then Matt speaks up.

"You know, she has had a rough time for a while. Do you think that she'll be ok?"

Mello scoffs at this question.

"It's her fault for going off on her own. And when has she not been fine?"

Matt frowns.

"You're the one who wanted to go find her. It didn't help that you kept glaring at her the whole time she was in the room. That's only going to chase her away again."

Mello turns to glare at Matt. He does not need a lecture now. Especially from him.

"She seemed just fine the way she was snuggling up against you. So what, you went from her punching bag to her boy toy now?"

Matt knew he took that the wrong way. He just didn't think that he would bring it up so easily.

"It's not what you think. She's completely broken down. I think L's death had a worse impact on her than I thought. She needs someone to be there for her. I don't think she can take much more distress."

What is he saying? Has she really broken down completely? Nah, that can't be.

Mello doesn't believe that she let herself get that weak.

"Whatever, I'm going to bed." Mello knows that there is a lot that needs to be done in order to beat Near, but he can't get himself to focus on the case just now. Plus, he also doesn't want to hear from Matt how things aren't how they appear between him and June. He knows what he saw. He's going to need more than that to convince him otherwise.

Mello walks over to the other room and opens the door. That's when Mello realizes something.

Who said that June can sleep on the only bed?


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey! Sorry it took me so long to update this story. I have a few other things that I need to take care of. I'll try to update as soon as I can for the other chapters. **

**I know that not a whole lot happens in this chapter, but trust me, it'll get exciting soon. There just has to be a few chapters like this to get the story going. Also, depending on where I take this story, the rating may change, mainly because I don't know where draws the line on content rating. If you know, then can you please tell me? **

**Also, I'm going to be posting my FMA story soon, so be sure to watch out for that as well. I would also like to thank RAINBOW RANT once again for the name suggestion because that is the one that I'll be using. I loved the name!**

**And please, review my story. Reviews make me smile. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note in any way. I do, however, own my OC, June.**

Chapter 10

Mello stares at June's sleeping form. She appears to have already fallen into a deep sleep. That's just great. June is a heavy sleeper. A thunderstorm wouldn't be able to wake her up. There is no way he is going to be able to wake her up now.

Mello watches as she suddenly turns in her sleep. She is lying on her back now with the covers down to her waist. Mello can see her because of the light coming in from the other room. He can also see that she has stripped down to her tank top before going to sleep. At least he's sure she stripped down because she didn't have a bag with her when Matt picked her up.

Mello remembers that the mafia had confiscated her bag before locking her in a room. She never got it back.

As he watches her sleep, he realizes that she is no longer the little girl that he known back at Wammy's. She is definitely more…developed now.

Mello looks away as he feels heat come to his cheeks.

No, he mustn't let his hormones get to him. He admits that he may have liked her like that back then, but he doesn't now. So he shouldn't be feeling this now. He won't allow it.

He hears a quiet moan coming from her and turns his head to look at her again. He notices something on her glint in the light and steps closer to see what it is.

It is the same ninja star necklace that she wore when he first recognized her. He knew it was her then because she never took the damn thing off at Wammy's. It's her brother's, L's, last birthday present to her.

Mello knew that she never took it off while she's awake, but he thought that she would have enough sense to take it off when she sleeps.

Honestly, is she trying to strangle herself?

Mello sighs as he walks to the bed. He leans over her and reaches for the back of her neck where he thinks the clasp is. She suddenly tilts her head and rests it against his wrist. His breath catches in his throat at the sudden contact. He looks at her face to see that she is still asleep. He also sees that her hair is splayed around her, almost like a golden halo around her head. Short hair really seems to suit her. He then realizes how close he actually is to her.

Not only has the heat returned to his cheeks, but he is also feeling an uncomfortable tightening in his pants.

Shit! He doesn't need this now.

He shuts his eyes for a moment, trying to push these thoughts about her out of his head. How can one girl have such an effect on him? She came to Wammy's, made his life hell part of the time, disappears from his life completely, and now she comes back and won't even so much as look him in the eye anymore.

Mello opens his eyes again. June is still sounding asleep. Thank God. He really doesn't want her to catch him like this.

Mello finally finds the clasp and takes off her necklace. He puts it down on the bedside table and turns to leave. Before he makes it to the door, however, hand reaches into his pocket and his fingers wrap around the object within.

He stops for a minute before finally making a decision. He turns back around and walks back to the bedside table. He pulls the item out and places it on the table next to her necklace.

He takes one final look at her before turning around and leaving the room.

Matt looks up to see Mello coming from the bedroom. The look on his face seems to have softened a bit. He can already guess what happened.

"Let me guess: she fell asleep on the bed." Matt also knows that she is a heavy sleeper. There is no way Mello can wake her up.

Mello nods and shuts the door. He looks around the room. There is a couch and a chair. Looks like one of them will have to take the couch and the other will take the chair.

"You know, two people can fit on the bed. One of us can share with June if one of us isn't too keen on sleeping on the floor or the chair."

Matt almost smirks as he sees a blush forming on Mello's face. Ha! He knew he still likes her.

Mello doesn't want to consider Matt's option. He can still see her in his mind. She is sleeping in her tank top! And Mello doesn't even know if she is wearing pants or not under the covers.

Mello shuts his eyes as his pants start to tighten again. He really needs to get these images out of his head. He doesn't think he can spend the night sleeping next to her like that.

He also doesn't want Matt to sleep next to her either.

He decides counter Matt's option with a point.

"You're forgetting that she's a girl. She'll want her personnel space. Plus, if she wakes up, she might kick our asses for sneaking into her bed."

That sounds reasonable enough. Matt should at least understand the "piss her off and you die" part. She can't be completely broken down. This is June, after all.

Matt nods. He does have a point. She may be down, but, as they have seen earlier when she took care of her assailant, she can still kick their asses.

"I call the couch."

Matt sighs and gets off the couch. He should have known that Mello would call the couch. He sits down on the chair and reclines as Mello lies down on the couch. It's not going to be a comfortable night, but at least the chair reclines.

Matt figures that he'll come up with something to help the situation between Mello and June in the morning.

…..

June slowly wakes up from a rough night. She just kept waking up throughout the night without any apparent cause. Maybe it's because she has gone so long without a good night's sleep.

She rubs the back of her neck as she yawns. Something doesn't seem to feel right with her neck.

She freezes. No, it's not what she feels that's wrong, but what she _doesn't_ feel. Where is her necklace?

She panics slightly as she looks around on the bed. That necklace is her last birthday gift from her brother. It's all she has to remember him by.

She turns her head in the direction of the bedside table and finds it sitting there.

She is slightly confused by this. She doesn't remember taking it off last night. Did someone come in to check on her and took it off? There are only two other people here, but which one of them did it, then?

She sees something else on the bedside table. Is that…her iPod? It looks like her old iPod from back at Wammy's. She picks it up and turns it on. She scrolls through all of the playlists and confirms that this is, indeed, her iPod.

One of the guys must have stopped by her room and saw that she left it behind. She didn't actually mean to leave it behind, but she had been so upset, she never noticed that she never picked it up before she left.

But, which one of them brought it with them and gave it back to her. She bites her lip. She knows who she wants it to be, but she can't make any such assumptions, especially since he is still holding a grudge against her.

She puts the iPod down and puts her clothes back on. She only removed her jacket and shirt before sleeping. She doesn't have a problem if the guys walked in on her wearing a tank top and jeans. She knew not to completely strip down when there are guys in the next room.

She puts her necklace back on, brushes her fingers through her hair, and grabs her iPod.

She takes a breath, and then walks out the door to face those that wait on the other side.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey! Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been stuck on how to continue for a while. I have a general lay out for parts of the story, but I don't have all the details thought out. It's been agonizing trying to think of what to type next. -_- I thank all of you who have story-alerted this and have waited patiently for an update. I'll try to update as much as possible for all of my stories, but, in a few weeks, I'll be at college. Updates may be a bit rare, depending on how much I have to study. I may set some time aside each day to type, but I'm not an overly organized person, so I can't make any guarantees.**

**Chances are, I only wasted time typing all of that because, really, how many people bother reading the A/N at the beginning. Oh well. I give you the latest chapter of Nameless.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note in any way, shape, or form. I do, however, own my OC, June.**

Chapter 11

"Okay June, we have some questions that you're going to answer, now."

That probably wasn't the best thing to say to the person who was known to having somewhat of a short temper. She was a bit more patient than Mello, but that didn't mean that she practiced such patience, especially with them.

That should have been one of Mello's concerns when talking to said person. Especially since she was only sitting a few feet away from him on a couch and he knew it would only take a few seconds for her to get to him if he hits a nerve.

However, she didn't have that kind of spirit in her as she sat. Mello could barely recognize the girl that was in front of him. If it wasn't for the fact that she was listening to her iPod, he probably would have dismissed her as a look alike, who happened to have the same name, shade of dark blonde hair…...

Mello stopped his train of thought there. He wanted answers and he was going to get them now. He gave her a break yesterday because she looked worn out. She obviously hadn't been taking good care of herself lately.

But now, it was two days since they picked her up, and Mello couldn't hold off the interrogation anymore.

June just looked up at him, seeing that he was serious. Oh well, fine by her. She had to admit, she needed to find someone to help her soon anyway. Beggars can't be choosers, especially since she was running out of time. She had wasted so much time trying to do this case by herself. If this case isn't wrapped up soon…

"How much do you know about the Death Note? How much do you know about Kira? How were you able to see the shinigami and why can't your name be seen?"

She knew he'd ask those questions, especially since the last one was so unusual. She had planned to tell them everything anyway, except for one detail.

"I probably know more about the Death Note than you do at this point. As for Kira, I only have a suspect but no evidence. As for the last two questions, that is actually a bit of a long story."

She looked at Mello to see that he wanted her to go on. She sighed.

"Back at Wammy's, before I left and you heard about L's death," she had a feeling that she was opening up some old wounds here, "I checked my computer to see if my brother sent me anything. Even though I'm bad at working with computers in general, I knew how to get to my brother's computer, just in case."

She paused for a bit before going on.

"What I found was that all the data had been deleted and there was a timer that would reach zero after a few days. I was once told that all the data would be deleted only if something happened…"

This was opening up some old wounds for her as well. She still wasn't completely over her brother's death.

"So I checked my computer to see that my brother had hidden a file. I normally wouldn't have caught that, and when I opened the file, it had all of my brother's notes on the Kira case."

Mello's eyes narrowed at this. Why didn't she tell them before?

"As I was looking through the file, the data started deleting itself for some reason. I didn't know how someone hacked my computer since my brother himself put up the firewall, but I have a feeling that person was Kira, since the file on the Kira case was the only thing being deleted. I couldn't save the data."

The most she knew about computers was how to get on the internet and check her email. She was hopeless with computers. That was what kept him from yelling at her for losing the data back then, that and the fact that he didn't want her to clam up now that they finally got her talking again.

"I managed to remember a few names, though. The one that was the prime Kira suspect was Light Yagami."

Now they were getting somewhere. Mello didn't think Near knew this much. Now he was ahead of the game.

"I remember that the pieces basically fit together, except for one thing…I can't remember what it was. Something about 13 days….."

That was probably the 13-day rule that was in the Death Note he had not too long ago. A rule that was actually fake. That would make sense why he wasn't arrested. He probably used that to prove his innocence.

"I couldn't find the guy. I don't know where he's at. That's basically all I know about Kira himself."

Mello sat there as he thought over what she told him. Now what he wanted to know was why she left if she was going to go after Kira anyway, but he would ask that after she answered the other questions.

"You haven't answered the other questions yet."

Matt inwardly groaned. He was hoping that Mello didn't mess this up. The reality of the fact was that it was actually a long while before Mello and June became friends. They would always fight. Everyone knew to leave the room the moment June and Mello were there at the same time. It wasn't pretty.

If Mello kept this up, they would be back at square one if he pisses June off, again.

"The answers are actually one long story."

"Well, go ahead then. We aren't going anywhere now."

She sighed, thinking back to see where she should begin. She guessed the beginning was as good as it was going to get.

"Well, about the shinigami, the truth is that I've been able to see them for a long time now."

She was waiting to be looked at like a freak, like someone who should be in a mental hospital. She was waiting for those looks from Mello, but they never came. Mello just looked at her, expecting her to elaborate.

"I've only seen one or two of them my whole life, and since I would have been thought of as crazy if I told anyone, I've kept it to myself. I never thought that they would come up in a case like this."

Even though they needed the information she had, she was still waiting to be ditched by the last couple of people she trusted with this information. After all, if anyone believed her off the bat without seeing the Death Note first, she would have had to question their sanity.

"I don't know why I can see them, I just can. That's all I know about that."

Mello could hardly believe this. But then, after seeing the Death Note and a shinigami, he couldn't discredit her after all that happened. Plus, he could see why she didn't dare tell anyone before. He would have thought she was delusional, even though she wasn't.

She decided to continue with what she had a feeling would alarmed them, especially the last part.

"A couple of years after I left Wammy's, I ran into a shinigami. I saw that he had a Death Note in some kind of holster. After reading my brother's notes, I decided to see how much more a shinigami could tell me about the Death Note when I saw him. It was actually a bit too easy. He didn't know I could see him, and apparently I wasn't supposed to be able to grab his notebook."

She remembered that day clearly.

* * *

_She was walking down the sidewalk of a random street in Japan. She was here because she was tired of running away. She hated herself for ditching everyone back at Wammy's. _

_She didn't know what she would find, but she figured after a few weeks here, she would go back to America and see what she could do from there. _

_She looked up to see a strange-looking person before her. She was pretty sure he wasn't human due to the fact that he had _wings_ on his back and that he was _flying_._

_She was pretty sure he was the same kind of creature she saw before. He looked a bit more human than the last one, but he still looked creepy. She looked down to see a black notebook strapped to his waist. It looked like the Death Note she read about. _

_She stopped. Would that mean that he was the shinigami her brother wrote about? If that was the case, then she could probably learn more about the Death Note from him then she would from anyone else related to the case._

_She had to decide before he left her sights. She clenched her fist as she made a decision. She was going to get answers. The only question was how. She doubted he would answer her questions just because she could see him. She needed leverage._

_She looked to the notebook. Would he cooperate if she stole that from him? There was only one way to find out._

_She picked up her pace until she was a half step behind him. Then, before he could react, she stole the notebook out of the holster and stuffed it up her jacket before anyone could see it._

_However, the shinigami did see her. He turned around to see a human shove the notebook up her jacket and stare straight at him. He had the most shocked look on his face. June nodded her head towards an alleyway they were passing and went down it._

_She waited in there for a minute until the shinigami showed up directly in front of her._

"_I'll have to admit, you're very bold to steal from a shinigami and then face them instead of running away."_

_She pulled out the notebook and looked him dead in the eye._

"_You know exactly how this notebook works. I want you to tell me everything, particularly any rules regarding ownership and such."_

_The shinigami chuckled._

"_What makes you think that I'm going to tell you?"_

_She pulled out a box of matches (why she had those, she didn't remember) and pulled one out._

"_If you don't, then I burn this thing."_

_As she said that, she struck the match, lighting it. It was silent for a moment before the shinigami laughed out loud._

"_You're very bold indeed. I think I like you. Fine, I'll tell you, but I'm only going to say this once."_

_She nodded. She prepared to memorize what she was going to be told._

* * *

Mello couldn't believe it. She stole from a shinigami. A _shinigami_! She was definitely tempting fate with that move. He motioned for her to go on.

"Well, using the notebook as leverage, I got the shinigami to tell me about rules concerning the Death Note, especially the ownership rules. I memorized as many of them as I could as he told them to me."

It was silent for a moment. The silence was broken by Matt.

"How did you get out of that alive?"

This was the part that she knew she would reach eventually, but wasn't completely sure how they would take the news.

"Well, that's related to the reason as to why my name can't be seen."

Mello stiffened at this. What did she do? He was hoping nothing stupid.

* * *

"_You realize that I might kill you once I have the Death Note back, right?"_

_She'd admit, the thought did cross her mind. Now that he said it, she was going to have to convince him otherwise._

_An idea came to mind. But that depended on the reason why he dropped a notebook in the first place._

"_Why did you bring the notebook here in the first place?"_

_He tilted his head, clearly wondering what she was getting at._

"_Simply because I was bored. How did you know I dropped another notebook?"_

"_I didn't, you just confirmed it."_

_He chuckled. He was clearly amused by her. She just smirked. Boredom? That would serve her purposes just fine. Perfectly, actually. However, had they still been on good terms, she knew a couple of people who would kill her for this, but she figured that she would be dead no matter what decision she made right now. The only difference would be who killed her._

"_In that case, you're the shinigami possessing Kira, right?"_

"_Yes."_

_So far, so good._

"_Then how about this: what if there was a person that Kira couldn't kill, even with the shinigami eyes."_

"…_..Go on."_

_She had his attention. She just needed to sell this._

"_How about we make a bet? If I can beat Kira without him seeing my name, I get to live and get my name back. If I lose, you are free to write my name down in the Death Note, no exceptions and with any mode of death of your choosing."_

_It was silent for a while. She was starting to think that it wouldn't work when the shinigami started laughing. It took him a minute or so to calm down._

"_I think I like you. You are very bold for a female human. Most wouldn't even dare to go near me, let alone steal from me and make such a bet with me. Fine, you're on. Name the conditions."_

_She could hardly believe that it actually worked, since she didn't know how he would really react, but she needed to seem confident if she was going to sell this._

"_I'm allowed to either work alone or with others. Either way, I have to be involved with his downfall. If I'm not somewhat responsible for his defeat, then you can kill me regardless."_

"_Sounds fair. How about this: you have two years to do so. If you don't win this bet by twilight on this day two years from now, you lose."_

_She wasn't expecting the short time limit, but she needed to make sure he wouldn't go back on this deal._

"_Sure. At the rate things are going, if Kira isn't brought down within the next two years, it may be too late to stop him. I'll accept the time limit."_

_The shinigami grinned. She had a feeling he was going to enjoy this._

"_Then it's a deal. I'll erase your name as you give me back the notebook and the bet will officially begin. Are you sure you still want to go through with this?"_

_She couldn't turn back now. She was the one to suggest the bet in the first place. Besides, even without the bet, losing to Kira would mean death anyway. _

_She handed him back the notebook._

"_Like I'm going to back out now. Let's start the bet already so I can go kick Kira off of his high horse."_

_The shinigami's grin grew. There was no turning back now. Her name was now erased and she had two years to beat Kira. If she couldn't beat Kira, then she would at least be able to see her brother again._


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello! I'm hoping I'm not disappointing you guys out there, especially since I don't know how I feel about this chapter. It's hard to tell when this story is lacking in reviews. This is chapter 12 and I only have 3 reviews for the whole story. I didn't want to complain about it, but there are one-shots with more reviews than this story. I want to finish this story, but I don't have much to go by for motivation. If you guys could please take a few minutes out of your time to type a review, I would greatly appreciate it. Reviews are to me as chocolate is to Mello.**

**As a notice, college starts for me in a few days. I don't know when I'll be able to update next, so please, be patient as I figure out my schedule.**

**Well, now that that's out of the way, time to check out Mello and Matt's reaction to the bet.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note in any way, shape, or form. I do, however, own my OC, June.**

Chapter 12

There was silence in the moments after June finished her story. She sat there, waiting for their reactions. She had a feeling how the next few minutes would pass.

Mello sat in his spot on the chair, trying to comprehend what he had been told. Was what she said really true? Did she really do something so _stupid_? What was she thinking?

He felt quite a few emotions at the same time. He felt denial, sadness, despair, regret, rage…

Can anyone guess what emotion he settled on? Anyone at all?

"HOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING SO _STUPID_!"

That's right. Rage. He couldn't believe that she went and did something so _suicidal_.

Did she not care about her life? Did she not care what her death would do to her friends?

June didn't flinch when Mello screamed at her. She knew that this was a possible reaction. As to why he asked that, she thought he knew how impulsive she could be. She went up to the shinigami on impulse and came up with the bet as she talked to the shinigami. After all, coming up with plans on the go was something she was good at. She needed to be good at it if she was to get herself out of any trouble she landed in because of her impulsive ways.

A better question would be: why did he care? She thought he hated her. Speaking of questions, there was one she wanted to ask. But it looked like Mello wasn't done yet, so she'd wait.

"Why did you do such a thing? Why didn't you wait until one of us caught Kira? Speaking of which," Mello remembered what he was going to ask her, "Why did you run off on the Kira case if you were going to try to catch Kira anyway?"

She stared at Mello for a minute, then looked down at her lap.

There were reasons that she kept telling herself for why she left, reasons that she would try to justify with her reasoning. But, no matter how much she told herself that her grieving would hold them back in the investigation, there was no ignoring the main reason she didn't want to work on the case.

But she wasn't about to admit it to Mello. She wasn't going to break down again in front of him. She appeared weak enough yesterday and the day before as it was. She wasn't going to do it in front of Mello anymore.

"I made that stupid bet because it was to make sure the shinigami wouldn't kill me as soon as I handed him back his Death Note. Even if I didn't make the bet, the circumstances wouldn't have been too different anyway. We win, we live. Kira wins, we die. I just have a time limit."

Mello eyes widened a bit. The tone she used was harsh and cold. She never spoke that way to him before.

Matt couldn't believe it either. Shit. At the rate this was going, Mello and June were going to be on worse terms than they were when they first met.

Mello got over the shock as he realized that she didn't answer all of the questions.

"You still didn't answer all of the questions."

June looked up to glare at Mello.

"Well, I have a question for you. Considering you didn't ask any questions about my brother being on the Kira case, you know that my brother was L, don't you?"

Mello tensed a bit before nodding. What was with her? First she was depressed; now she looked pissed off about something.

"Then I shouldn't have to explain anything to you."

Ok, that was it. He wasn't about to take this from her.

"What are you talking about? Of course you have to expl-!"

"If I have to explain it to you, then I guess you don't know me that well, _Mello_."

Matt was confused. How did this happen? She looked like she hated Mello right now. But he knew she didn't hate Mello. She thought Mello hated her, didn't she?

He was going to have to get an explanation from her when Mello's not in the room.

Mello was seethed with rage. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. He couldn't think straight.

He stood up, June's eyes following him.

"Fine. I guess I don't really know you. But you know what? I don't care. You want to catch Kira by yourself, fine. I don't care. You can go waste the rest of your time and go die in a ditch for all I care, you fucking bitch!"

He was going to regret these words. He could already tell. He was already regretting them. Not because, after a minute of shock, June stood up and punch him in the stomach as hard as she could, and that was pretty damn hard.

He regretted them because he knew he didn't mean a single word, and _she didn't know it._ Now, there was nothing left of their old friendship that could be salvaged. She hated him now, he knew that. But, despite what he said, he didn't hate her. And he knew that she wasn't going to listen to him anymore, so apologizing would be pointless.

June stood there for a moment after punching Mello in the stomach. She watched as he knelt to the ground in pain.

Then she turned around, walked into the bedroom, and slammed the door shut.

Matt was in shock. What the hell happened? What was it she won't tell them? If they took it at a slow and steady pace, she probably would have told them. Now Mello went and said that. What the hell was _he_ thinking?

Mello slowly got up, his stomach still in pain. There was no point in going after June to explain. She would only beat him shitless. He would just have to solve this case in time for June to continue living and make sure to give her some credit. After all, he didn't want her to die.

Matt, however, had another plan.

He got up and went to the bedroom door. Very carefully, he opened the door, slipped in, and shut the door silently behind him.

June knew Mello hated her for ditching him, but she was still shocked by what she heard.

This was a mistake. She should have just stuck with looking for Near. Or just continued the investigation on her own. Yeah, she probably would die doing that, but obviously Mello didn't care what happens to her. Her time was almost up anyway, so why stick around here and take his shit.

She jumped slightly as she felt the bed shift. She turned her head to see that Matt was sitting next to her. When the hell did he get in here?

She looked down as she saw that his eyes were demanding answers. The look wasn't harsh like Mello's was, but he obviously wanted to know why she acted the way she did.

She knew Matt didn't hate her. Maybe she could tell him what was going on.

Before she could say anything, however, Matt gently pulled her into a one-armed hug. She nearly broke down again. She raised her hand to wipe away any unwanted tears that wanted to spill out, only to discover that she was already crying. When did she start crying?

Matt wasn't going to jump straight to questioning her. He saw that she started crying after she punched Mello in the stomach, although he didn't think Mello saw the tears. What Mello said had hurt her more than she was going to admit, he knew that.

He wasn't going to force answers from her, just ask her nicely.

"June, you don't have to tell me anything, but I would like to know what's going on. You never talked like that to either of us before."

June knew that Matt was confused by this. She owed him an explanation.

"The reason why I ran off so long ago was because I was afraid."

Matt's eyes widened.

"Afraid?"

She nodded.

"My brother never failed solving a case before. He was always right and he never lost. The way I saw it, he could never lose. I thought that there wasn't anyone that could beat him."

Matt stayed silent as he rubbed her arm, trying to comfort her.

"When I found out that Kira killed him, that he actually lost, Kira suddenly became the scariest person out there. The fact that my brother lost was enough of a shock, but to know that the person who killed him was able to stay one step ahead of him the whole time, I couldn't comprehend it. When I remembered that Mello would more than likely recruit me to take down Kira once he heard the news, I just couldn't take it. Nobody has ever scared me as much as Kira has. I couldn't get myself to go through with it. So I ran. I ran because I was such a coward."

She pulled her knees up to her chest and she laid her forehead to her knees.

Matt understood what she was telling him. L, the world's greatest detective, was her brother. Of course she would think he couldn't lose. He also understood how someone like Kira instantly became her worst nightmare.

"After a couple of years and after seeing how Kira seemed to be winning, I couldn't stand by anymore and watch. I've hated myself for being such a coward. I've hated it since I left. I wanted to come back sooner, but I didn't think I could justify my actions no matter what other reason I tried to delude myself with that didn't involve me being a coward. Plus, I didn't know where anyone was, and I knew Mello would have hated me for ditching on him like that. So, I went to Japan, where the Kira case started, to see if I could find anything. That was when I found the shinigami and made the bet."

Matt continued holding her, trying to comfort her.

"Did you know that L wanted someone to watch over you until you were old enough to take care of yourself?"

June sat there for a moment before answering.

"I figured as much."

"Did you know who?"

She uncurled herself and looked down at her lap.

"No, my brother never told me such details until after the fact or right before. It was typically some ex-cop or FBI agent that looked after me before I went to Wammy's. A couple of times, I was actually looked after by a con-man and a thief."

So she didn't know that L made Mello responsible for looking after her. It was probably best if he didn't tell her that, though. She had been through enough as it was.

June leaned her head against his shoulder. Despite the fact that it was only about 2:00 in the afternoon, she felt tired all of a sudden.

Matt caught on to this and made to get up so that she could rest, but June grabbed onto his sleeve and kept him there.

She didn't want to be alone right now. She just wanted to stay like this, at least until she fell asleep.

Matt complied, keeping her in a one-armed hug and occasionally rubbing her arm in a comforting manner.

However, what neither of them noticed was that the door leading into the other room was opened by a crack. They also weren't aware of a certain blonde that stood next to the doorway, listening to everything they said.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello people of the world! I'm so glad that a couple of you guys reviewed the last chapter! Classes for me haven't started yet, but I managed to get an idea of how to write out this chapter faster than I thought. So, lucky for you guys, you get this update before my schedule gets busy. Well, you asked nicely, so here it is!**

**Disclaimer: (This is getting too repetitive) I do not own Death Note in any way, shape, or form. I do, however, own my OC, June.**

Chapter 13

The car pulled up at the airport just in time to see the two guys from the Taskforce to be dropped off by one of Near's people.

Mello was driving with a chocolate bar in hand; Matt was in the passenger seat, and June was in the backseat, listening to her iPod.

They left their motel just minutes after receiving a call from Hal, telling them that two Taskforce agents were going to be at the airport to head back to LA.

June watched as the two talked amongst themselves. Or, at least, one of them did most of the talking, the other guy; Mogi if she remembered correctly, didn't seem like a very talkative guy.

As she watched, she tugged at a bracelet that was hidden by the sleeve of her favorite blue jacket.

"_Oh, I just remembered."_

_She looked up at Matt, nearly asleep where she sat. They had been sitting for a while after June told him her troubles._

_She saw Matt reach into his pocket with his other hand and pulled out something. Her eyes widened._

_It was a silver bracelet. It was made up of silver roses, connected to each other by silver leaves. There was a fake jewel set into each leaf. It was her favorite bracelet._

_She thought she lost it a long time ago. Why did Matt have it?_

"_I saw this on the ground outside of Wammy's the day after you left. I figured you accidentally dropped it and would want it back."_

_She didn't speak. She just gave him a one-armed hug. This was a rarity in itself. She didn't do hugs. But, she didn't feel like talking anymore. She would let the actions speak for themselves._

_Matt handed her the bracelet and she put it in her pocket. She would put it on when she wasn't so tired._

She wondered what the guys were planning to do. She figured that they would want to follow them to find the Taskforce headquarters. After all, the new "L" was Kira.

Kira….

She already hated the bastard for killing her brother, the _real_ L. Now he was pretending to be him. This brought about a rage she had never felt before.

"Well, how do you want to do this?"

She was brought out of her rage when she heard Matt asking the question.

Mello was silent for a moment.

"June."

She pulled her headphones out to show that she was paying attention.

"You will get on the same plane as them so you can keep an eye on them as they get to LA. We will follow."

A pretty simple plan. Easy enough to execute.

"Fine." She wanted a better look at a couple of the members of the Taskforce anyway. She remembered that L, the real one, spoke highly of a couple of them. If she remembered the descriptions correctly, the ones here were Mogi and…Aizawa? If it was Aizawa, then he shaved his afro. She knew Chief Yagami was dead, and neither of them acted like Matsuda from what she heard.

She got out of the car and walked towards the entrance, blending in with the crowd so she wouldn't be seen following them.

Mello watched as she disappeared from sight. He knew what they have to accomplish, but he needed to be away from June for a while to think. He was still trying to keep yesterday from distracting him from what needed to be done.

_Mello stood by the door as he heard everything. _

_She was afraid of Kira? That was why she ran? Now that he thought about it, it made sense that she would be afraid. After all, he didn't think that L would be killed either. But, this was more personal to her, and Kira suddenly became her personal nightmare._

_She was also right. He would have gone to her for help. He would have dragged her along to catch Kira and to try to beat Near. That was actually what he was setting out to do after he heard the news. He was going to recruit her and then go recruit Matt. He figured she would have joined him without any problems. She did say at one point that she would help him with anything. All he needed to do was call her. _

_But, L's death had obviously been bothering her for a while. Why didn't she tell him she was afraid? _

_Wait, never mind. She would never admit to being afraid. She had too much pride to admit that she needed help or that something scared her. She was as stubborn as him in that aspect._

_She would always try to prove to him that she was tough. Tougher than him. It was one of the reasons why they didn't get along when they first met._

_Suddenly, he was enraged. If she had too much pride to tell him her problems, then why did she tell Matt?_

_Why was she being more open with him?_

_What did Matt have that he didn't?_

_Did she trust him more? L supposedly put her under his care because _he_ was supposed to be the one with her trust. If she ever trusted him before, she obviously didn't now._

_She thought that he hated her. Was that why? But…..he didn't. He hated that she left, but he didn't hate her. Well, after what he said, there was no way she was going to believe him. Now _she_ hated _him_._

_It was probably for the best that she didn't know that he was supposed to watch after her. She's old enough now. There was no need to tell her that._

_Wait, did Matt say something just now? He didn't catch what he said._

_He decided to peek through the crack to see what they were doing. _

_He saw her in a one-armed hug. But, that wasn't what surprised him._

_What surprised him was the fact that June was giving Matt a one-armed hug. She wasn't the type of girl that gave out hugs to everyone. _

_His breathing stalled for a bit. He turned away from the door and leaned against the wall next to it. _

_So, that's how things were now. _

_He stood there as he resisted the urge to charge in there and beat the shit out of Matt. _

_Silently, he shut the door and walked over to the chair. He sat down and looked down at his lap._

_There was nothing he could do about it now. He would just have to solve the case. Yeah, he still wanted to beat Near, and by doing so, he would be able to save June. He could do this. He was better than Near. _

_He would beat Near and gain everything._

_But, why did it feel like he'd already lost everything?_

Mello needed to focus now. He couldn't afford any distractions. He just hoped that June didn't do anything stupid while she was out of his sight.

….

June and the Taskforce members arrived in LA just fine. She was silently following them out of the airport. She didn't think they noticed her. Though they really shouldn't, no one in the Taskforce was aware that she even existed.

They walked until they reached a certain building. June was on the other side of the street at this point and she watched as they walked in. She decided to wait outside until something happened.

That something came in the form of Matt and Mello riding up in a motorcycle after a few minutes of waiting.

June walked up to them as Matt got off the motorcycle. They both looked at her expectantly.

"Both of them went into that building right there." She pointed to the building directly across the street. The guys nodded.

Just after she pointed the building out, one of them, Aizawa, came out.

"Ok, Matt, June, you two stay here and keep an eye on the guy here. I'll follow this guy."

Mello didn't like the idea of leaving the two of them alone together, but they had other priorities now.

June and Matt nodded, showing that they understood. Mello drove off, leaving them to watch an apartment building.

Can anyone guess how boring that gets after a while? Mind-numbingly boring. June never understood how L could do this. She gets too bored too easily. It was all she could do not to fall asleep while listening to the Nickleback songs from their latest album. She didn't download them, but someone had added them to her iPod during the five years she went without it. Whoever it was knew who her favorite bands were. Even the newest Three Days Grace album was on there.

Finally! Mogi just left the building! And he's with a very childish-looking girl/woman. She wasn't sure the age. At least, until she remembered where she saw that face from.

Matt pulled out his cell phone as they discreetly followed them. She knew he was calling Mello.

"Mogi left the building with a young woman, probably between 14 and 20. If I have to say, she is an awfully cute Japanese girl."

Really Matt? That was how he was going to describe her? It sounded like he was looking for a date, not a suspect.

"She's Misa Amane. She was the one suspected to be the second Kira. If I recall, Light Yagami is supposed to be her boyfriend."

Matt looked over to her, and then relayed the info to Mello. After an exchange of words that June didn't really pay attention to, Matt hung up.

"Mello said to keep following them and we'll find a way to get information from her later."

June frowned at this. She didn't know if Misa was still the second Kira or not. She remembered that those who gave up ownership of the notebook lose all memory concerning it. As far as she was concerned, this was just going to be a dead end. But, they had to make sure that that was the case.

"Actually, I already have an idea of how to keep an eye on her and possibly how to get information."

Matt looked a bit surprised.

"Really? What is it?" He wasn't sure if this was good news or not. June is a very impulsive person. What she claimed to be plans were basically just actions she did on impulse, and then she would come up with the next move on the go. She only really thought out a whole plan ahead of time like, what, 10% of the time? Maybe even less?

Her improvised "plans" did work most of the time. But not all of the time….

June looked around where they were at. They were currently at a shopping district. This was perfect. She could pull it off better here. She just needed to…..

"June?"

She looked over at Matt, who looked a bit wary. Of course, he was smart enough to know how her plans typically work. She smiled at him.

"See ya later, Matt." With that, she walked off into the crowd.

"June, wait! Where are you…...?"

The look she gave him said "Shut it or face the consequences". He didn't think that she would beat his ass. He _knew_ that she would beat his ass. So, he stayed silent and watched as she worked, hoping that she had put some thought into this.

June didn't head directly for Misa. Instead, she wondered around a bit, pretending to be interested in what she saw in the windows. At first, Matt didn't understand what she was doing.

Slowly but surely, she was making her way towards the suspect. She was just doing this for show in case they spotted her.

Then, just as they turned to walk in her direction, she started walking in their direction.

Just as she was about to pass them, she glanced at Misa. Then did a double-take and had a surprised look on her face.

"Excuse me, miss."

As June said this, Misa turned around, curious.

"You wouldn't happen to be Misa Amane, right?"


	14. Chapter 14

**Welcome back! I think I have my schedule down, but that depends on how much time I need to spend studying. I've also figured out some kind of plot for my character that my screen name is based off of (after months of doodling without the slightest clue of what to do with her). However, that brings up another question: what do I do with the story? Should I post it somewhere or should I sit on it? I'm not even sure as to what the whole story is anyway.**

**I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this chapter. I promise some action in later chapters, but I need to build up to it first. Let me know what you think.**

**Oh well, I've rambled on enough as it is. You guys want to read this chapter, so here it is.**

**Disclaimer: (Is this necessary for every chapter?) I do not own Death Note in any way, shape, or form. I do, however, own my OC, June.**

Chapter 14

Misa looked back at June, surprise written across her face. How did this girl know her? She wasn't really known in America.

But, instead of keeping a serious face on, she smiled cheerfully as she answered the mystery girl.

"Why, yes! I'm Misa Misa! How did you know that?"

June smiled back as she thought her story out.

"I had a friend who was a big fan of yours. She showed me a couple of magazines that you were on. I normally don't remember names, but I do have a habit of remembering faces. It just took me a moment to remember where I saw your face from."

Misa smiled more.

"Well, Misa's glad to know that she has fans over here in America! Where's this friend of yours?"

June looked down to the ground, a sad look on her face. Misa saw this and instantly became curious.

"What's wrong?"

June looked back up, then back down.

"My friend…died in a car crash a while back. There was a drunk driver and…."

Misa suddenly had an understanding look that had sympathy written all over it.

"Oh, Misa's so sorry. Misa didn't know. Misa's parents were killed by burglars a long time ago, too, so Misa knows how you feel."

June looked back up, a sad smile on her face.

"Well, I guess it's good to know that someone understands."

Misa stared back at the "sad" girl, wondering how to cheer her up. A light bulb suddenly went off.

"Hey, why don't you go shopping with us? Misa doesn't mind, plus you look like you can use a friend."

June almost laughed bitterly at this. Misa had no idea how close to the mark she was about the friend comment. She still remembered Mello's words from yesterday.

June looked at Misa, and started to wave her hands in front of her and shook her head.

"Oh no, I couldn't impose on you like that. You don't even know me."

Misa smiled again.

"Then Misa will just have to get to know you. Besides, Misa needs to spend time with other girls for girl time once in a while. I mean, Misa loves her boyfriend and all, but Misa hasn't had any girl time with other girls in a while."

"Uh, Misa….." Mogi was trying to tell her that she needed to be careful. They didn't know this girl, and they can't let her interfere with the investigation.

Misa looked towards Mogi.

"Don't worry Motchi! She's nice. Besides, she needs a friend since her friend died."

Misa grabbed onto June's arm.

"Come on!"

June was dragged behind her as she tried to "protest" by saying she didn't want to impose. Misa, of course, kept insisting.

"Oh, by the way, what's your name?"

"June."

"Like the month? Cool! Misa loves the summertime!"

Matt watched as June was dragged away by the suspect for a shopping trip. Apparently her planned worked, at least, that was what he was guessing.

Now she could keep an eye on her, possibly learn something related to the case, and not seem too suspicious. He just hoped that nothing goes wrong about it.

Well, Kira would try to kill her with the Death Note if she slips up, something that's no longer possible. She won't die from the Death Note unless she runs…..

Matt suddenly became cold as he realized something rather unsettling. Mello had forgotten to ask a really important question. But, he highly doubted that June would give them the answer.

Matt tried to shake off the dread that came with the realization. They didn't have the time to waste on that. If possible, Matt would just confront her about it later, but he doubted he would come up with something.

Matt sighed. He knew that Mello wasn't going to be too happy about June going off and doing her own thing, but honestly, just how often did she take orders from them anyway?

He would just have to hope that she won't do stuff like this too much during the case.

….

"YOU DID WHAT!"

Yep. Mello was definitely not happy about June just going off and doing whatever the hell she wanted to do. But hey, you know the saying. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Although, Misa was actually a nice girl. She was probably being manipulated by Kira or something.

Oh, right. Mello was yelling at her.

"I did what I thought was a good call."

"Good call? You just introduced yourself to the second Kira suspect! Do you have a death wish or something?"

June glared back at him. She should have figured as much. Mello was always bitching and moaning whenever things didn't go the way he wanted them to. Such as the competition with Near. That annoyed the hell out of her. Why the hell did she put up with him? Well, she had her guess, but that guess was pointless now.

"Hey, you now have eyes on the inside. Besides, why do you care anyway? It's not like she would be able to kill me if she still had the shinigami eyes."

Mello clenched his fists. Why did he care? He wasn't really sure of the answer himself, but he did know that he didn't want her to die. So why must she make this so difficult?

"Fine. Whatever. So you're now a suspect's friend. Do you have a plan of what to do next?"

June leaned back on the couch in their motel room.

"My next move will come to me."

Mello was trying to suppress his frustration. She was always like this! She never had a plan and just did whatever the hell suited the situation at the time. She didn't think about the possible consequences. He wasn't even entirely sure if she thought more than a half step ahead.

Mello sat down on the chair and put his face in one of his hands. He had to calm down before he said something he would regret again.

He had to think. There were three of them and two places to keep an eye on, Kira's possible headquarters and Misa Amane's place.

June was now friends with Misa, so she could look after Misa while he and Matt looked after the Taskforce. Oh wait, except someone needed to keep an eye on _June_ so that she didn't do something impulsive and stupid again. That would leave him and Matt.

….Mello knew she hated him right now, but he didn't want to leave June alone with Matt for what could possibly be a few days, maybe even weeks. He didn't even want to think about what they might do instead of working on the case. The images that were brought to his head were both infuriating and brought about a pain in his chest.

"Fine, then this is what we're going to do. Matt, you keep an eye on the Taskforce headquarters. June and I will watch over Misa Amane."

Matt inwardly groaned. Did Mello think that he and June liked each other more than friends? This would be one of the times that he would agree with June whenever she called him a dumbass. That pissed Mello off to no end, and she was the only one who was able to get away with it.

June wasn't overly happy about the arrangements either.

Great. Just great. Now she was stuck with a jackass for who knows how long. Well, she knew how long she had left, but she was kind of hoping that the case would be solved before that.

But, neither one raised any objections about the arrangements. Odds were that June was just going to go with her own plans again anyway.

Mello was slightly relieved that neither was going to complain about not being with the other. Besides, June's earlier stunt just proved that she still needed to be looked after, and, after all, L did assign him to the job. He might as well do it.

"Fine, then Matt, set things up here since this place is only across the street from the Taskforce headquarters. June get your stuff and meet me out front."

She didn't respond. She just got up and headed to the bedroom that she had taken over when they got there.

She didn't have much to get. She did have a new set of clothes thanks to the shopping trip with Misa. She now had a pair of jeans that hugged her thighs and then flared out starting at the knees. She also had a long sleeve dark blue shirt with a v neck. It actually hugged her curves quite nicely. It was simple, but even Misa said that it suited her. At least it wasn't something ridiculous and itchy.

She packed that up in a new backpack she got while she was out. Finally, she put her cell phone in her jacket pocket and put on her headphones.

She went outside to see Mello was already on the motorcycle with his helmet on. Great, now she couldn't listen to her iPod without the headphones flying off. Grudgingly, she put her iPod away.

Mello looked at her, waiting for her to get on. Reluctantly, she got on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Mello drove off with June in tow. It was a very quiet ride to the other place. At least, as quiet as a motorcycle ride can get.

When they arrived at the place they were going to be staying at, June got off and just headed inside without sparing Mello so much as a glance.

He sighed. She definitely hated him right now. As pissed off as she gets whenever she yells and screams at him, she was only really mad at him when she didn't talk to him at all. He learned to be more wary of that than her screaming because that was a sign that she was on the borderline of hating him.

As he told himself before, he would just have to try to get her to forgive him once the case was done. He just had to beat the deadline…

That was when it hit him. How could he overlook something like that?

He was filled with the cold realization that he didn't ask her when the deadline was. Was there still time? She said that she had two years since the start of the bet, but how long ago did she make the bet?

He needed to know. He was going to have to ask her when he got the chance.

….

It had been a few hours now and they were both moved into their temporary base. June just had to make sure that Misa didn't catch her going into the building across the street from her.

The last few hours had been quiet. Too quiet. Mello wasn't going to admit it, but he wanted June to start talking to him again. He…missed the old her.

June had been listening to her iPod most of the time. She didn't want to talk to Mello. Why should she? He obviously didn't care about her. The only reason he wanted her there was so that he could make sure she did things his way. Well, he was in for a hard time then. When a plan comes to her, she acts on it. She'll deal with the problems that come from her decision when and if they arise.

This was going to be agonizing. She wanted to hang out with Matt. At least he didn't hate her. At least he would try to comfort her. She may put on a tough front, but at least Matt knew that she couldn't be left alone to deal with her own problems.

Mello never saw that. All he ever thought about was how to beat Near and become better than her brother.

Please, like he or Near could come close. She'd admit that the two of them together would probably be able to beat her brother, but she knew that they would never work together. That was why they would never be able to match him, let alone beat him. She could have told them that anytime, but she figured that if they were real geniuses, they would have figured that out from the fact that L couldn't choose one of them.

Near probably knew that but won't admit it. Mello was the real dumbass here. She had always called him that, but she didn't think that he caught onto what she meant by that.

Why did she even care enough to try to help him beat Near anyway back at Wammy's?

"_I don't care."_

Why did she ever agree to help him?

"…_..go die in a ditch for all I care, you fucking bitch!"_

Why did she feel so much pain from those words?

Why did she ever put up with an idiot like him?

The fact was, she already knew the answer, but she wasn't going to admit it now.

She didn't care what she may have thought before. Things were clearly different now.

Oh, how she wished that her brother wasn't dead. How she wished Kira never showed up. Then they wouldn't be in this mess.

"…June."

She wasn't going to respond to him. She didn't care anymore, just like he didn't care.

"…..June, when is the deadline?"

She looked up at him, a bit shocked. Yeah, she noticed that he didn't ask that question before, but why ask now? He didn't care, as he said so himself.

"What deadline?"

Mello tried to stay calm. He couldn't screw things up with her anymore. But he needed to know if he was going to be too late or not.

"The deadline for the bet. When is it?"

Everything was silent for a while. June had thought that this question would come up when the guys realized that they didn't know how much time June had spent by herself trying to solve this case. Or, at least get enough facts and evidence for those that would be able to finish this. Face it, for something as tough as the Kira case (tough because of a pompous, arrogant bastard); two years seemed to be pushing it.

Matt probably realized that he didn't know as well by now. She looked down at her lap.

"I'm not going to tell you."

Mello's heart stopped for a moment. He should have known that June would be difficult about this. Since when had she not been difficult with him? But, he needed to know. He needed to know so he could save her.

Or say goodbye to her…

No, no, no! He wasn't going to think that. He will solve this case. He will and he'll be beating Near and saving June at the same time. He needed to know just how much time he had left.

"June, I need to know-"

"No, you don't need to know. If I told you the deadline, you would just be wasting time thinking about that instead of the case. The information will only distract you. So don't ask again."

Mello was trying to stay calm. He didn't want to give June anymore of a reason to beat him shitless and possibly go off to go with her own plans. He couldn't allow that. She would get herself killed on her own.

June's cell phone suddenly went off. She looked at the screen to see that it was Misa.

She picked it up.

Mello didn't listen to the conversation. He was too busy thinking.

Did the fact that June didn't tell him the deadline meant that her time was almost up? He didn't like that what she said about it distracting him being true. Because it was true. June tended to stick to the facts like that.

But, is it too late to help her now? If it was, what should he do? Tell her goodbye? Tell her that he didn't hate her? He felt that he should tell her something more than that, but he didn't know what.

_What? You're just going to give up now? _

An old memory from Wammy's suddenly came to the front of his mind. It was what June said after he was throwing a fit about losing to Near again.

_You try, you fail, you try again, and you fail. You only really fail when you give up. And I'll tell you right now, if you dare to quit now after all the time and energy you spent on this, I'll kick your ass so hard that my shoe will hit you in the head and your IQ will drop by a dozen points! Now, do you still want to quit, dumbass?_

He quickly shook the thoughts from his head.

No. She will live. He will make sure that it happens. There were no buts about it. If he doubted himself now, he really will fail.


	15. Chapter 15

…**.**

…

…**Was the last chapter not very good? The lack of feedback worried me. And I know people read it because I updated two stories that night. Nearly 150 people read either one or the other, or maybe both, that night. And I got only 1 review a few days later, and it wasn't for this story. The only response I got was shinigami777 adding this story and my name to the Favorites list. I do need some feedback about how you guys think of the chapters.**

**Okay, I have finally made it to the point of the story that I have been dying to get to for a while. The reason why I say that is because at the point the story ended in the last chapter, I was planning on a time skip for the time June and Mello spy on Misa. So, why not get to the back story on when June was at Wammy's? You guys have probably wanted to know it anyway. I wanted to get to it. I just needed to reach to a point where I could break away from the plot for a bit.**

**So, here is chapter 15!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own June, my OC.**

Chapter 15

10 years ago

So far, it had been a pretty uneventful day at Wammy's. Everyone was either playing outside or in the playroom or studying somewhere. Nothing special was going on. At least, until that afternoon that was.

Mello and Matt were walking towards the playroom, wondering what to do since Mello declared that he needed a break from studying. They were cut off when a group of the younger kids started to run towards the entrance.

Both of the boys were wondering what it was about.

"Hey Linda!"

Matt managed to catch the attention of the young artist as she was also making her way to the front entrance.

"What's this all about?"

Linda's eyes were full of curiosity.

"Didn't you hear? A limo pulled up a minute ago. It looks like that there's going to be a new kid here. Want to come check things out?"

A new kid showing up at any other orphanage probably wouldn't have gained so much attention. A new kid showing up at Wammy's, where everyone was some kind of genius, that didn't happen a whole lot and when it did, it would catch everyone's attention.

Mello, of course, didn't particularly care that there was going to be a new kid here. As long as he didn't present himself as a threat, Mello would probably just ignore him for the most part.

But, since he was unable to fight back the curiosity of who this new kid was, he nodded, and he and Matt followed Linda to where they thought the new kid would be.

By the time they got there, all of the kids were scattered about the room, observing the kid that was standing next to Watari.

The kid was a girl, who looked to be about 7 or 8 years old. She had blonde hair that went down past her shoulders and her bangs framing her face, or was it brown? Mello couldn't tell. Maybe it was on the borderline? She was wearing a blue jacket, jeans, and sneakers. She had her hair tied back in a ponytail.

She was looking around at the room full of kids to see them all staring at her. Apparently she wasn't used to having so much attention because she looked a bit nervous about all of the kids. But, she was still observing them all the same. Mello could see that. He could see that, beneath the nervousness that was apparent in her eyes, was a kind of calculating look as she took in every detail.

She had blue eyes. Not the same ice blue as Mello's, they were a couple of shades darker than that. Mello nearly scoffed as she made a tiny movement towards Watari, as though to duck behind him and away from the stares. This girl was just a timid thing. She wouldn't be able to steal L's title from him.

Watari looked down at the girl to see her looking back at the children, a bit intimidated by all the kids but not willing to admit it. He, of course, understood this. After all, she never really had any interaction with anyone around her age before. She probably didn't know _how_ to interact with them.

Oh well, she would just have to learn how. She probably wouldn't have needed to be here in the first place if it wasn't for the incident.

He patted her shoulder, making her look up at him. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Come on, we need to see Roger."

Mello watched as the new girl walked away with Watari. He knew that when she got back, she would have a rank and a new alias. He was pretty sure that she wouldn't make the top five no matter how hard she tried.

He had no idea how wrong he was.

….

A couple of hours later and the girl, who was now called June, came to the playroom with a CD player and a book. She looked around.

There was a white-haired boy dressed in all white working on a puzzle. For a minute, she wondered how he could look in the mirror without being blinded by all the white. She just shrugged the thought away. If he wanted to dress like that, then who was she tell him otherwise.

She picked a spot against the wall and sat down. She started playing Bon Jovi as she opened her book to the last page she left off.

As far as anyone knew, that was how she spent her time. The other kids took the occasional glance at her, but didn't come up to ask her to join them to play. They were wary of her. They didn't even know what rank she was. She didn't tell anyone what she was ranked. She didn't even _talk _to anyone.

That was how things went for the first week or so since she came. She didn't do anything to catch anyone's attention. She just sat there and read her book and listened to her CD player.

Of course, that was most people saw. Near, who also spent all of his time in the playroom, had looked up at her a couple of times out of curiosity. He saw that, while she was pretending to read her book, she would glance up and just observe the others in the playroom. Clearly, she was just as curious of them as they were of her, but she didn't make any move to join them. Maybe she socially awkward, like him. Of course, that only lasted the first few days. After that, she paid more attention to her book and CD player.

At least, until one afternoon…..

"Hey."

June looked up to see a girl. She had a smile on her face as though she was happy to see her.

June took off her headphones to show that she was listening to her.

"…Hey."

"Do you want to play soccer with us?"

June blinked in surprise. She wanted her to play with them? Why? June never played soccer before, but she had seen it on TV and knew the rules to it.

She wasn't sure of what else to do, so she simply nodded.

The girl smiled.

"Come on, then!"

The girl grabbed her by the arm and June was pulled up and dragged after her, her CD player and book forgotten.

"My name's Linda. What's yours?" June assumed she meant alias, because the name she was given here was different from what her brother called her.

"June." It occurred to her that this was the first time she had spoken to someone here.

Linda merely nodded as they went outside and ran up to the make-shift soccer field. Basically there were two cones on one end and another two cones at the other, marking the goals. The soccer ball was a real one you see at sport stores.

June saw that there were two groups of kids at the field as they ran to them.

"Whoa, Linda! You actually managed to get her to come out?"

"Yeah, all I did was ask."

The others seemed a bit surprised that June was actually out and about. She supposed that was because she didn't really make an attempt to get to know anyone here. But then, they didn't try to get to know her, either.

Mello and Matt, who was only out there because Mello dragged him out to play the game, looked over to see what everyone was surprised about. Linda went to go get someone so that they would have an even number of people so they could play. What they didn't expect was that she would go get the new girl who spent her entire time in the playroom reading and listening to music.

With the way she didn't interact with anyone, he was wondering if Wammy's took in another Near, except she wasn't albino. But, she was out, something that Near would never do.

June looked over the two groups. She recognized a couple of faces as some of the kids that saw her come in. One of them walked up to her. This kid had blonde hair down to where they almost touched his shoulders. She recognized him from her first day as one of the kids who came to watch her come in. At least, she thought that he was a boy. Although, he did look pretty feminine. Maybe it was girl? She couldn't really tell.

"Do you know how to play?" She looked straight at him/her. He/She had a deep voice, which probably indicated that he was a guy, but still, some girls actually have deep voices as well. Hmmmmmm….

She decided to think about it later when she saw that he was waiting for an answer.

"I've never played before, but I know all the rules and such."

Mello just shrugged.

"Whatever, you're on their team."

The comment irked her for some reason. She was pretty sure that he/she was looking down at her.

The other team was about to protest about having an inexperienced player, but Mello just shot them a glare and they quieted down. It was at that moment that she gained her first impression of the person.

This person appeared to be a brat.

Oh well, she would just have to show him/her how capable she was. Yeah, she never played before, but she was a fast learner.

She took her position as a mid-fielder as the game began. Mello started off with the ball as one of the forwards. He was doing just fine dodging the other kids and had almost made it to the goal.

It was at that point that a dark blonde blur ran in front of him and disappeared, along with the ball.

He turned around to see the new girl running off with the ball, dribbling it as though she had done this a thousand times. Right before she was cut off, she kicked the ball to Linda, who kicked it to another kid, and that kid made a goal.

Mello was slightly shocked at how fast she actually was. And she had pulled off the pass as if she done it before. Was she lying about not playing before, or was she a fast learner? Either one was possible here.

Mello's eyes narrowed as she turned around to face him with a smug look on her face. Was she mocking him?

"You were lucky that time. Just wait until I get serious."

"Well then, you better get serious now because I'm not going to wait."

Mello's eyes widened. A couple of other people were also taken aback, including Matt. Someone who didn't say a word for over a week and had looked timid was talking back to Mello, who was considered to be a bully by some. What the hell?

The game continued and the new girl continued to steal the ball right from underneath Mello's nose. She was a lot more capable than he originally thought. He had only managed to score twice that whole game. In the end, the score was 6-3. Guess which team won?

"Wow June! Are you sure you didn't play before?"

June nodded. Mello could hardly believe this. She had caught on and had gotten good before the game was even halfway over.

"I guess you aren't fifth for nothing!"

Wait, what? She was ranked fifth!

"Fifth?" June actually looked a bit confused about that.

"Yeah, didn't Roger tell you after the test?" June thought back.

"I don't know. I was tuning in and out on half of what he was saying. I don't even know what that test was about."

She had got to be kidding. Wasn't everyone informed before coming here that they were competing for the title of L?

"The test was to see what you were ranked out of everyone here. I overheard Roger saying that you got fifth."

June still looked a bit confused.

"Why are we being ranked though?"

"You're kidding me?"

June looked over at the blonde boy/girl. He/She had a look of disbelief written across his/her face.

He/she was really starting to get on her nerves.

She decided to ignore him/her and looked to Linda for answers.

"We're being ranked because we're competing."

"Competing for what?"

"Weren't you listening to Roger!"

June now had the urge to reach out and slap the blonde. Matt, somewhat interested in what was going on, came over so he could hear better while playing his game.

"We're competing to be L's successor, you know, the detective? Didn't Watari tell you that?"

June had an interesting expression on her face. She looked like she was thinking back on something as well as a look of disbelief. After a moment, she face palmed herself and looked down, shaking her head.

"I should have known that he would do this…" she mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Linda looked a bit confused and interested.

Mello and Matt had no idea what she meant either.

June looked up at them after a moment.

"Nothing, it's just that someone I know sent me here without telling me what Wammy's was about, and before you ask, no, Watari didn't tell me anything."

Everyone looked a bit surprised.

"Who was it?" Linda just never runs out of questions, does she?

"My brother."

This was even more of a shock. Someone at Wammy's who had a sibling on the outside.

"You have a brother?" It was Mello that asked. If she had family on the outside, what was she doing at an orphanage?

June nodded.

"Yeah, and I know that he sent me here for the same kind of training you guys are getting."

"How would he know that?" Mello was skeptical. No one was supposed to know about what they were really doing here.

She looked straight at him.

"Trust me, he knew about it."

Everybody still couldn't see how her brother would know about this place.

"Well, how come your brother doesn't take care of you? How come he had you sent to an orphanage?" Why would someone send their little sister away? At least, it only seemed logical that she was the younger sibling.

She looked at Mello. He saw something flash through her eyes, but it didn't stay long enough for him to identify it.

"My brother isn't able to take care of me. His job gets a bit dangerous from time to time and he didn't want me involved if it would put me in danger."

Okay, that made sense. Linda had a look of awe on her face.

"What does your brother do?"

June smirked at this. Why was she smirking?

"You probably won't believe me. In fact, it seems kind of funny since I know he made sure I went here."

This only piqued everyone's interest further. Even Matt looked up from his game.

"What does he do?" What was it that would seem a bit unbelievable?

She looked at everyone, amusement clear in her eyes.

"My brother….is actually a detective." 


	16. Chapter 16

**Just to let you guys know, I plan on spending the next few chapters on the years at Wammy's. Also, I won't be able to update this often all the time. I'm just procrastinating on other things. I also have more drive to write this because I have more of an idea of how to write this chapter.**

**Well, I have nothing to say now except please review. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own June, my OC.**

Chapter 16

Nobody could believe their ears. A detective! Matt was so surprised that he actually stopped playing his game for a minute.

Mello was shocked, but he quickly dropped that look from his face and turned it into his usual scowl.

"Yeah right. You just made that up."

June looked directly at him with a completely serious look on her face.

"No, really, he is one."

Crap. It didn't look like she was lying.

Linda had a look of awe on her face.

"Really? He is? That's so cool! Did he ever take you on any cases or anything?"

June looked at her. She was trying to decide how much she should say. Well, then again, he just said not to reveal who he was. She didn't think telling them a little something would give anything away. Besides, she highly doubted that they could guess who he was anyway.

"Sort of. He never took me to the scene of the crime, but he did show me some notes and pictures and explain things to me. He even asked my opinion on some of the cases."

Oh great. She was now a bit of a threat. Even though she was just fifth, she probably had more training to be a detective than anyone else here. He should be wary of her if she ever came close to claiming the title of L.

"So, does your brother want you to be a detective?"

Again, she smirked. This was starting to get on Mello's nerves. It was like she knew something they didn't.

"Well, if I were to take the very strong hint from the fact that he sent me here, I would have to say that he hopes I become a detective like him."

Mello scoffed at this.

"Yeah, well, I don't know how or _if_ your brother even knows about this place like you say he does, but there's no way that he's anywhere near L's level."

Oh, she was tempted to tell them. She wanted to see the air deflate from the blonde's head upon hearing who her brother really was. That would probably show him/her who he/she's up against. Too bad that 1) she didn't really have any interest in claiming the title and 2) she thought ahead as to what it would mean to defy her brother and tell them. The news would spread like wild fire. Now, she doubted that any of them would try to kill her since she was the sibling of their idol, but they definitely wouldn't leave her alone. They would constantly be hounding her to ask her about her brother. She wouldn't even be known as "June" or even by her real name. No one would remember because they'll only remember the part about her being the world's greatest detective's little sister. That would be aggravating.

Now, she loved her brother, she really did. But she wanted to be known as herself, for what she was capable of doing, not because of who she was related to.

So she said nothing and did nothing, neither confirming nor denying the fact that her brother and L was the same person. She didn't think that they would be able to guess it anyway. If someone did, well, then that person really was a genius.

"So, who is your brother?" This time it was the red head wearing goggles and playing a video game who asked her. She remembered him from her first day, but she didn't really have an impression about him yet. She figured he was the blonde's friend, but she didn't have enough to see if he was a nice person or not.

"I can't tell you." Well, it was the truth. She was always told not to refer to L as her brother to anyone. She could say that she had a brother, but normally not anything beyond that. She would be in danger if anyone knew about her.

"Why not?" So far she could say that the red-headed boy didn't annoy her like the blonde. He was only curious. Of course, who wouldn't be?

"I'm not allowed to say who he is. If I did, I could be used as leverage against him if word got out." Plus, they wouldn't want to hang out with her just because they considered her a friend. It was easier to tell who her friends would be if they didn't know.

Linda looked like she understood. Matt didn't say anything, just went back to his game. Mello, of course, had to say something. Too bad he didn't see what was on the ground in front of June.

He turned around with the intention of walking off.

"Whatever, just don't get in my way."

He kind of mumbled it, but June still caught what he said.

Did the blonde say something condescending to her? She decided that the blonde did.

In the next second, something came in contact with the back of Mello head and he saw a couple of stars for a moment.

Linda and Matt just stood to the side gaping at the scene. June had just kicked the soccer ball in front of her and had hit Mello in the back of the head. The hit was pretty accurate, and it looked like it hurt.

Mello turned around rubbing the back of his head, glaring daggers at June. June just glared right back at him.

"If you have something to say, then say it to my face. Unless you're too much of a coward to do even that."

Okay, now Mello was pissed. How dare she talk to him like that? He was ranked above her! She should be giving him respect!

Mello walked towards June and got right in her face. She didn't waver at the close proximity of the two. It looked like she was trying to stare him down despite being shorter than him by a couple of inches.

"I'll have you know that I happen to be ranked above you! I have a better chance of claiming L's title than you do."

Okay, that was the last straw! She didn't care if the blonde was ranked first! A brat like him didn't deserve her brother's title. And technically, he was wrong about her. "Officially" she was ranked fifth. The truth was that she didn't pay too much attention to Roger and she didn't give a damn about the test he gave her, so she didn't try as hard as she could. In fact, she probably would have been next in line if she didn't tell L that she had no interest in taking his job from him.

_Well, you would only take the title after I die, so you still have some time before you need to take over….._

She didn't really want to think about what would happen if he died. He was L. There was no way he could lose. He was never wrong.

_If you insist on not taking the title, then would you at least help my successor, whoever he is? You are a lot more capable than you let on half the time and your help would greatly improve the chances of him successfully solving a case….._

Please, help a brat like the blonde? If he did somehow take the title, she would only agree because she promised L that she would. Besides, if this idiot took over, the help would definitely be needed. But it would never be needed. L was L. There was no way anyone could beat him.

Instead of screaming a string of profanities that she learned from watching criminals on camera (despite her brother telling her not to use them), she calmed down and looked at him with an "awed" expression on her face.

"Oh really? I had no idea." Mello was wondering where she was getting at. She looked pissed a second ago. Maybe she finally realized who she was messing with.

"In that case, I'll tell you a little something." Mello didn't think that he would care about what she had to say, but he leaned closer anyway.

That was when June grabbed him by the arm and flipped him over, so that he was on the ground on his stomach and she was pulling back on his arm, painfully.

"I don't give a damn what rank you are! I'll beat your sorry ass, no matter who you think you are!"

This surprised Linda, Matt, and, of course, Mello. She was a very small girl. Mello didn't think that she would be able to flip him. He didn't think it would be right of him to beat her up for hitting him with the soccer ball. But, clearly, he was wrong.

Matt couldn't believe that an eight year old like her was cussing him out. Just what kind of person was her brother to let her use such words? He didn't really care about using cuss words himself, but something about hearing an eight year old girl cuss you out was a bit unsettling.

"Aahhh…get…off!" Suddenly, she released him. Mello crawled back to his feet once he was able to feel his arm again. That hurt like hell!

Mello glared at her, thinking about ways to get back at her. That was when she turned around to stare at him.

"Oh, and by the way, thanks for the candy."

Mello had no idea what she meant until she held up a wrapped chocolate bar in her hand. Mello reached down in one of his pockets to find that she did indeed steal that from him. When did she take that?

"Why you little –." And with that, she was off.

Mello took off after her. Matt and Linda just stood there, trying to think how the hell that happened.

June took off towards the building and took the steps at the entrance three at a time. Mello was following close behind her. She was fast, but he had longer legs.

When they got inside, she immediately ran for the playroom. What happened next took Mello and someone else by surprise.

June ran in and saw the door to another hallway at the opposite end. In the middle of the floor was Near working on another puzzle. June charged forward, not faltering as she got closer to Near. Just as Mello was almost within reach, June jumped over Near, tucking her legs in under her, cleared his head and puzzle and stuck the landing, leaving Mello to crash into Near.

Well, to be more exact, June's foot came into contact with a toy car that she didn't see was there. She stuck her foot out and the momentum made her slide forward on the car for about three feet and she got off by stepping down with her other foot and continued to run and didn't stop until she hit the wall, thanks to the momentum.

She pushed herself off the wall and turned around to see Mello and Near a tangled mess. She couldn't help herself. She grabbed onto her knees as she laughed out loud at the scene.

Mello got up from his collision to see June laughing her ass off at the sight. Anyone could probably hear the steam coming out of his ears.

He charged forward once more. As soon as she saw this, she took off on him again.

Damn it! What was this girl? She seemed almost like a gazelle the way she jumped over Near.

Just as it seemed that he was getting closer, she would take a turn around a corner and then took the next corner. Mello had to slow down to make sure he would slide off and crash again. Eventually, she got really far ahead of him.

June didn't look back once. She had heard that you should never look back when being chased. She just judged when the blonde got too close by the sound of the footsteps behind her. She was almost to her room. She just needed to take a couple of turns and she could duck into her room before the blonde could catch her.

She was almost-

BANG!

Just as she turned a corner, someone had opened a door and she ran headfirst into it. The force of the impact made her bounce back and fall flat on her back. She wasn't sure, but she thought that she could feel a bruise forming on her forehead.

Mello ran around the corner to see June on the ground and Roger standing in the hallway with a hand on the doorknob. June had run right into Roger's office door just as he was leaving.

Roger looked down to see the new girl, June, on the ground with a hand on her forehead and Mello standing right behind her, looking a bit winded.

"Mello, June, what is the meaning of this?"

Before Mello had a chance to start saying how she was at fault, June suddenly sat up and slowly made it up on her feet.

"Nothing, Roger. Nothing's going on."

It was when she looked up that Roger saw the nasty purple bruise that was forming on her forehead. He sighed.

"Your brother warned me about you. What did you do to have Mello chase you down?"

"Nothing."

Mello wanted to start shouting how that wasn't true, but he was cut off by Roger.

"Well, in any case, you're going to have to go to the nurse to have your forehead checked out."

June tried to shrug it off, even if her head was hurting bad.

"I'm fine. It's just a bruise. It'll heal on its own."

Roger shook his head and grabbed her arm.

"That's a really bad bruise and we're going to have to check for a concussion. Now come."

"But I'm telling you, I'm fine…." June didn't want to go to the nurse. She didn't want to look like a weakling in front of this brat just because of a bruise.

Mello watched as she was dragged in the direction of the nurse's office. He was surprised that Roger didn't immediately pin all the blame on him. It looked like her brother was expecting some kind of trouble from her.

He looked down to see his chocolate bar abandoned on the floor. She must have dropped it when she hit the door.

He picked it up and stared down the hallway she was dragged down. Just who was she anyway?

Oh well, that wasn't his concern. She was just another person to beat to get the title of L. He didn't care who her brother was because there was no way he could light a candle to L.

Mello turned around and walked back in the opposite direction she went to go study some more. They were on break from classes during the past week, but he needed to be prepared for when they started on Monday. No one was going to stand in his way. Not Near, and surely not this annoying little girl.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello fans of Death Note! Just as a noticed, I'm planning on redoing the first couple of chapters of the story. The plot will still be the same and everything. I just want to fix the problem with the tenses and add some more detail to the first few chapters. After going over those chapters and comparing them to recent chapters, they seem to suck. I will also probably change the chapters that I wrote (or tried to write in) present tense so that they are in past tense.**

**PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE!**

**I came up with a different idea of how things ended with June and Mello at Wammy's. That is, I have a different idea of how she leaves. The new idea is that she was in Roger's office with Mello and Near when receiving the news of L's death instead of via deleted files. So I'm going to ask you, the readers, if you want me to go with this idea or if you want it to stay the same. Please be sure to tell me in your review, or I won't know what you guys would like. It is important that you respond because I CAN'T CONTINUE without knowing your opinions. That is all.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own my OC, June.**

Chapter 17

Monday came around and classes were once again in session at Wammy's. Mello and Matt made it to their math class with five minutes to spare and took their seats towards the middle.

When the bell rang, June walked in and looked around, as though unsure as to what she should do.

Mello inwardly groaned. Great, she had to be in their math class. And why was she acting like that? How was it that she acted like she was so timid about a classroom full of kids? It was like she'd never been to a school before.

June was looking around, wandering where she should sit down. Most of the seats were already taken and, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she was a bit shy about all of the kids that were in the room. She had never gone to anything like a school before.

Before she could do anything, the teacher came in behind her and had shut the door. She looked down at June and smiled.

"Hello there. You must be June."

June nodded, not sure of what else to do. The teacher just smiled again.

"Well, there's no need to be shy, go sit down."

The teacher looked around until she found an empty seat.

"There's an empty seat next to Matt over there. He's the one wearing the goggles. Do you see him?"

June nodded as she recognized the red head she saw the other day. Unfortunately, he was sitting next to the blonde, but Matt should be able to prevent them from getting into each other's faces. He would be sitting in between them.

June walked towards her seat, aware of some of the stares she was getting. She tugged a bit at the bandage wrapped around her head. She didn't get a concussion from her collision with the door the other day, but the nurse thought it would be necessary to wrap the bandage around the bruise since it was a nasty purple color. She'd admit that her forehead was still hurting a bit, but it was only a bruise. Bruises heal. There wasn't any need for the bandage in her opinion.

Matt looked up as he noticed both June taking the empty seat next to him and Mello grumbling about something. That something was about how the girl who owned him yesterday was now sitting that close to him. Mello wouldn't admit that she beat him. He claimed that he was just caught off guard and she got lucky. Well, with the way June handled herself yesterday, Matt didn't think that it was luck that helped her. He wasn't sure if luck could get you to jump over another eight year old and a puzzle, zip across the room on a toy car, and still had you on your feet even if you had hit a wall. He was pretty sure that the girl had skills. And if Mello was unlucky enough, he may be subjected to more than just being flipped on his stomach.

June sat down, ignoring the blonde and looked ahead at the teacher as she was about to start teaching. Now, June wasn't completely ignorant. She knew that math involved numbers and knew how to do some equations, but her brother didn't teach what was beyond necessary for her to know for most of her life. She also knew that some of the stuff the teacher was writing on the board was, what most people would call it, high school rated stuff. She was wondering if this class would be interesting.

…..

20 minutes later, June had her head on the desk.

_Why would anyone want to learn this? How can anyone stand being in this class?_

It wasn't that she didn't understand what was on the board at the front of the classroom. She just found the subject so _boring!_ She wondered if her brother had to learn this stuff to become a detective. If he didn't, could she just not take the class then?

Matt looked over from his muted handheld to see June with her head on the desk looking bored out of her mind.

_What do you know? Someone who hates math as much as I do._

Matt wasn't too fond of the class either. He was lucky to be able to sneak his handheld in so that he had something to do during class. Poor June was just so bored. He almost felt sorry for her.

Ugh…..June couldn't take it. When was class supposed to be over again? Oh, the torture! She needed something to distract her. She looked over to see what Matt was doing. He was playing a video game. Lucky! She didn't think that video games were allowed since he had it under the desk, but still, that would be more fun than sitting here and die of boredom.

Out of curiosity, she peered over to see what game he was playing. It involved some kind of…creatures?

Matt saw that she was trying to see what he was playing.

"I'm playing Pokemon." Pokemon? She had heard of that game before. It was really popular in America. She had never played, but she kind of wanted to.

She decided to watch him play his game instead of listening to the teacher.

She was watching his Pikachu shock the crap out of a Squirtle when the bell suddenly rang. She looked at the clock. Wow, class was over already. She wasn't aware of the time passing her and Matt by as he played the game.

They both gathered their things and walked out of class. Mello was annoyed about the fact that Matt seemed to be making friends with her. Mello didn't want to have anything to do with her.

She was walking alongside Matt since they had the next class together, and Matt in turn was walking alongside Mello, who also had the next class with them. Mello didn't like the arrangement of her schedule so far. He just hoped that she wasn't in all of his classes.

June didn't like the fact that the blonde also had her classes, but since Mello, as she eventually learned was his name from all the times he raised his hand in class, hadn't bothered her, she didn't raise a fuss about it. That was when she realized something….

"Hey Mello."

"What." He wasn't sure what she was up to, but he wasn't going to let her flip him on the ground anymore. That last time was a fluke.

"I just have to ask this: are you a boy or a girl?"

There was silence for a minute. Then Matt started laughing as hard as he could. Mello was fuming.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN AM I A BOY OR A GIRL! I'M A BOY! ARE YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING?"

June had put on an annoyed and slightly angry look on her face.

"Well, you didn't have to be so rude about it. You only had to answer the question. Besides, face it, you look really feminine."

Matt laughed even harder at this, if that was even possible.

Mello was beyond glaring daggers at her. He wondered how much trouble he would get into for killing the new girl. He decided too much trouble to still be considered to be the new L.

"Couldn't you tell by the sound of my voice? Are you deaf or something?"

He still couldn't help but yell at her.

She stared back at him with a straight face.

"Actually, there are some women who have deep voices, so it was still kind of hard to tell."

Matt finally got up after who knows how long he laughed for, and looked at June.

"Don't worry. I couldn't tell at first myself either. At least you had the guts to actually ask him so directly."

June frowned at this.

"What do you mean by guts? He's not scary or anything. He wouldn't be able to scare me if he tried."

Okay, that was the last straw! Mello didn't care if she was new or a girl. She was going down!

Mello came at her with the intention to grab her and pin her to the ground, but that was not what happened.

What happened was that June side-stepped Mello and tripped his feet. Mello fell to the ground and June flipped him over so that he was on his back. June then straddled his waist and pinned his arms down and was actually able to hold him there.

He was either a very weak ten-year-old or this eight-year-old was actually strong for her age. Either way Mello couldn't get up.

It was then that he looked up at her and stared directly into her eyes. She had a slightly angry look in her eyes. Was she really that mad about yesterday or about now even? It didn't make much sense to Mello. She suddenly leaned forward so that her face was inches from his and was now looking at him directly in the eyes.

_Has she never heard of personal space?_ Mello was starting to get a bit uncomfortable.

June stared at him directly into his ice blue eyes. She had no idea who he thought he was, but one thing was for sure, this brat didn't deserve her brother's title. He was annoying, condescending, and, from what she gathered so far, only cared about himself. L wasn't like that. Yeah, he was childish, but wasn't everyone childish at some time?

There was no way someone like him was going to get the title. She wasn't going to claim it, but he wasn't going to get it.

Matt watched as June got off from Mello, then turned around and started walking off to the next class. Mello got up and glared at June, who was almost at the corner when she turned around to face them.

"Hey, Matt, come on! We're going to be late!"

Yeah, she didn't like Mello, but she had nothing against Matt. She was actually beginning to think that he was somewhat cool.

Mello's glared intensified. She would be nice to Matt, but throw him to the ground? He decided that he hated her. He wouldn't stop Matt from being friends with her, 'cuz odds were that he would be friends with her anyway. But he was going to teach her where her place was here eventually.

He was going to get back at her eventually.

….

Classes were finally over for the day. June had sat next to Matt every time because she ended up in every class as him and, unfortunately, Mello. She didn't like it anymore than he did, but she didn't raise a fuss during class, and Mello was too focused on the lesson to really pay her any mind anyway.

She was back in the playroom with her CD player listening to Kelly Clarkson, wondering what to do now. She finished her book a while ago.

She looked over and saw the kid with white hair working on a puzzle. She smiled as an idea came to her.

She walked over and sat down next to him. Near didn't give any indication that he noticed her there.

"Hey, I'm June. What's your name?"

"Near," he answered without looking up from his puzzle.

"What rank are you?" She didn't ask because she cared, but because she was curious.

"I'm in first."

Whoa, first! That meant that he would inherit L's title instead of Mello. She probably wouldn't have minded that if it wasn't for the fact that June had never seen him do anything else besides solve a puzzle or play with a toy. She was going to have to study him further.

Anyway, she was still going to go on with her plan.

"Are you up for a challenge?"

Near looked up from his puzzle to stare straight at her.

"What do you mean by challenge?"

June smiled.

"I'm talking about a friendly little game. Let's see who can solve a puzzle faster."

It was silent for a moment as Near stared at her.

"….Fine, but I'll let you know that I'm pretty good at puzzles."

June smiled again, seeing that he accepted her challenge.

"So am I."

Just as Near and June took out two new sets of puzzles and dumped the pieces on the floor, Linda came up.

"Hey June, what are you doing?"

"I challenged Near to a game. We're going to see who can solve a puzzle faster."

"Oh, well good luck. Near's number one here and he always solve the puzzles faster than anyone else."

"Well, I'm feeling lucky."

June sounded confident enough. Near wondered what she was up to.

"Okay, ready, set…..go!"

All at once, June and Near started putting together their respective puzzles.

After a minute, Matt and Mello came by and saw June with Near. Mello didn't care what she was doing with the sheep, but Matt was curious enough to go ask Linda, who was watching whatever they were doing intently.

"Hey, Linda, what are they doing?"

Linda looked up for a minute to see Matt.

"June challenged Near to a race to see who can complete a puzzle first."

Oh please. Mello wasn't sure who she thought she was, but he knew that she was no match for Near when it came to puzzles.

"Like she has a chance. She clearly doesn't know who she's dealing with. She'll lose soon enough."

Linda looked back down at the race.

"Actually, that's the thing. It looks like that she's ahead of him."

_What?_

This caught both of the boys' attention. Nevertheless, when they looked down at the race that commenced a while ago, June was ahead of Near by more than a couple of pieces.

**Pfft! I know that I haven't done an A/N at the end of the chapter before, but I really need you guys to review to tell me your answer to my question from before the chapter started. It's really important so that I'll know how to continue the story from here. So please, click the little blue button and type up a review with your answer. **


	18. Chapter 18

…**..**

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…**I only got one review last chapter. I actually find it a bit frustrating that over 100 people would read the latest update and I would get no reviews from them. That was basically the reason why I didn't update as soon as I could. **

**Since no one said anything about the change I suggested in the last chapter, then I guess I'll just not make it and just redo the chapters like I said I was going to do. **

**I would like to thank jazzy-me123 for the review, for that had been my motivation to post this update this soon. And, since you are the only one to have reviewed the last two chapters, this update goes to you. Please enjoy.**

**If anyone bothers with glancing at the A/N, then read this: PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own my OC, June.**

Chapter 18

Nobody could believe it. June was beating Near. _Near!_ And at a _puzzle_. They were either in an alternate reality were Near could actually lose to someone, or this girl was not who she seemed to be.

Everyone was paying close attention to this, and Mello, who was still somewhat in denial that this was actually happening, was thinking about confronting her afterwards if she won.

June grabbed another piece and looked at Near's puzzle. Then she looked at her own. She was ahead of him by more than a few pieces. If she had to guess, those that were watching them were shocked. After all, she was supposed to be in fifth and not be able to beat the number one kid here.

That was when she started thinking. If she beat him, would she have to take the test again and be forced to try her best? If she came out on top, would that mean she would get L's title even if she didn't want it? And not to mention that she would be confronted by everyone about how she wasn't who they thought she was. Well, it wasn't her fault if they made assumptions about her and they were wrong. But that wouldn't stop all the questions she would be bombarded with.

She looked up for a second and saw that Matt and Mello had joined Linda in watching them. If she decided to beat Near, that would really knock his ego down a few notches. She would show him that he shouldn't think little of her.

But, she didn't want L's title. She was content in just watching him work and helping out once in a while. Having the actual title would mean a lot more work than she wanted. She would admit it; she was sometimes a bit lazy. Plus, she didn't want to set herself up for something that she wouldn't get. L was a genius. L would never lose.

June thought this entire thing out while working on the puzzle, and, as she came to a decision, she slowed down. Not enough to be too noticeable by most, but enough for Near to catch up.

Near had noticed this, but didn't say anything. He figured that she wanted to try to pull a last minute win.

Matt noticed this as well. His eyes narrowed as Near started to pull ahead of her by several pieces. He looked at her face, but all he saw was a blank look that betrayed nothing. He couldn't confirm it, but he was pretty sure that she was losing on purpose. Why would she do that, though?

Linda didn't notice that June slowed down. She just thought that Near sped up. Mello, however, noticed that June slowed down. But, he thought that she was getting stuck and needed more time to think where the next piece went. He didn't think of the possibility that she was losing on purpose. He was sure that June was nowhere near as good as Near. She just got lucky at the beginning.

Another minute went by and Near had placed the last piece in its place. June still had about six pieces left. She looked over and saw that Near was finished before she was.

"Aw man, I lost." She pouted and looked down at her own incomplete puzzle. Then she looked up at Near and smiled.

"Oh well, I guess we know who the genius is when it comes to puzzles. I guess I'll have better luck next time."

She held out her hand for Near to shake as if to show that she was a good sport. Near didn't take it. He was too busy trying to figure out what she was thinking. He knew that she lost on purpose to him. What were her motives for that? He had heard that she was ranked fifth, but if that was where she really stood here, she wouldn't have been able to beat him if she chose to. What was her game?

June frowned when he didn't take her hand and looked him in the eyes. He looked suspicious. Whoops, guessed he figured out that she lost on purpose.

She smiled as though in understanding.

"Oh, are you a germaphobe or something? In that case, my bad."

She withdrew her hand. She suspected that he didn't take her hand because he thought that he didn't really win. She understood that.

Linda came up to her.

"Wow, I thought that you were going to beat him there. Too bad that he sped up."

"Yeah, too bad."

She wasn't about to admit to slowing down.

"Hey, do you want to go to the art room with me?"

"Yeah, sure, just give me a minute."

Linda smiled and walked out of the playroom.

Mello decided that he should go study since there was no need to confront someone who was arrogant enough to challenge Near and then lose to him. If anyone was going to beat Near, it was going to be him and no one else.

Matt trailed slowly behind Mello out of the room, but stopped just outside the door. He wanted to talk to June as soon as she got out.

June went over to where she left her CD player and picked it up. She was about to go and leave the room when Near spoke up.

"Why did you do that?"

She spun around and saw Near standing next to her. She was about as tall as him as she figured out because this was the first time she saw him standing since she got here.

She knew what he was talking about, but decided to play dumb and had put on the most convincing confused look on her face that she could put on.

"What are you talking about?"

Near frowned.

"Just now, you lost to me on purpose. I didn't bring it up earlier because I guessed that you didn't want the others to know, but I know that you would have beaten me if you had decided to. Why did you do that?"

She would admit that he was good. She wasn't ready to say that he was as good as her brother, because odds were that he wasn't. But he was able to catch on to the fact that she didn't want to talk about it in front of the others.

But, she still wasn't about to admit that she lost on purpose.

"Me, lose on purpose? I'm pretty sure that you are mistaken. I had tried at beating you in a friendly little game and I lost. It's as simple as that. Now, I need to get going. I don't want to keep Linda waiting."

Neat knew that she was lying. He knew, but didn't call her out on it. Technically, he was still ranked first and she was ranked fifth. If she wanted the title of L, she would just beat him then. But, right now, it seemed that she wasn't planning on showing off her true potential, whatever that was. He couldn't tell how much better she was, but she was someone that he needed to keep an eye on. She might slip up eventually and then he would figure out just who she was.

June walked out of the playroom and headed in the direction of the art room. She didn't notice Matt standing in the corner just outside the door, and he didn't make any move to stop her.

He had overheard Near's confrontation with her. He didn't think that she was going to admit to losing on purpose or tell anyone why she would do that, so there was no point in stopping her when that became apparent. Maybe she didn't want to be L? But, with her brother as a detective, wouldn't she idolize him as well as everyone else here? Wouldn't she want to jump at the chance to inherit the title?

Matt didn't know what to make of her. But, there was no way that she could fake her reaction on her first day at Wammy's and when she first entered the math classroom. She was obviously shy when it came to other people even if she wouldn't admit it.

She probably just had her own reasons for not beating Near anyway. Whatever they were, he decided not to confront her about them. Besides, maybe they would be able to figure it out later. After all, this was an orphanage full of geniuses. Odds were that someone was eventually going to find out something about her even if she didn't say anything.

….

"Come back here!"

Over a month had gone by since the puzzle challenge. The only people who suspected anything about June was Near and Matt. June, of course, didn't know that Matt suspected her. He was always playing video games and hiding his eyes behind a pair of goggles, and since she didn't know much about him, she couldn't really read him that well yet.

Well, anyway, since June found Mello as aggravating as she did from when they met, she decided to have some fun. Someone with that short of a temper had to be fun to mess with. That was what she thought.

So, she had, once again, stolen a chocolate bar from his pocket and had started eating it when he realized that it was gone.

She had finished it on the go, but Mello was still running after her, determined to get back at her.

She took a turn a saw a broom closet door wide open. Acting on impulse, she ran in a shut the door, not thinking about the fact that she would be trapping herself in there.

Mello saw the door slam shut as he turned a corner. He ran up to it and tried to open it. As he tried, he felt resistance as June held the door shut, seeing as there wasn't a lock on the broom closet door.

Mello gave up after a while, deciding that he would try when June least suspected it. He thought he heard something on the other side, but had disregarded it. It wasn't like there was much to do in a broom closet anyway.

After a few minutes, Matt came by and saw Mello standing outside of a broom closet.

"Um…what are you doing?"

Mello looked over at Matt with the usual scowl on his face.

"I'm waiting to get the jump on her so that I can get back at her."

Matt sighed. It had been like this since over a month ago. June and Mello would fight. June and Mello would beat each other up (although Matt thought that Mello got more banged up than her). June would steal his chocolate just because she didn't like him. Honestly, it was amazing that the two short-tempered blondes lasted this long without one of them killing the other.

He and June were still friends, even if he was friends with Mello as well. She didn't beat him up, but she still teased and taunted him. Just the other day, she stole one of his video games and had him chase her outside just because she thought he wasn't outside enough.

"Why are you two staring at a door? Honestly, someone's going to think you guys have finally lost it or something."

Both guys turned around in shock to see June, who was supposed to be in the broom closet.

Mello turned around and opened the closet door. It was, in fact, empty. He looked around. Then he looked up and found out how she escaped.

She had escaped through the vent. How could anyone do something so reckless?

When he turned around to face her, she was gone. He blinked, and then he heard her.

"Hey dumbass! I'm over here!"

Dumbass? _Dumbass!_ That was it! She was going to pay!

Mello ran down the hallway where she was, and she quickly ran off. Oh no, she was not escaping this time.

He followed her around the corner and then something happened that he didn't expect.

A hand had reached out and grabbed June by her ponytail. Her head snapped back at the force, mainly because she was running so fast.

She grabbed the back of her head in pain, and then turned around to yell at the person, thinking that Mello had somehow caught up to her.

The words immediately died in her throat as she saw who was actually behind her.

Mello had stopped in his tracks, a bit shocked himself.

L was standing right in front of him, staring down at June. _L _was actually here!

June looked up at L, surprised and happy to find him there. She knew that she wasn't supposed to refer to him as her brother while there, but she missed him and wanted to hang out with him. However, she supposed it wouldn't be too long before the other kids try to take his attention away from her. Speaking of that, here came the infernal blonde.

"Hey L, what are you doing here? Are you done with another case?"

L looked over to him.

"Why, yes, I just finished a case in Russia, and I came here as a favor for someone else."

Mello instantly became curious.

"Favor? For who? And what is it?"

L looked back down at June, and June figured out what his plan was and prepared to play along with it.

"I'm here to check on June here. Her brother wanted to know how she was doing so far."

Mello was shocked by this. He was also a bit jealous that June was automatically going to get L's attention.

"Wait, you know her brother?"

L looked back at Mello.

"Yes, I know who he is. He's a very good detective that I know of. He needed a safe place for his sister to stay, so I told him to have her sent here. This is the safest place she could be, after all."

June looked down as she remembered why she had to stay here. There didn't use to be a problem with her staying with him before, but, of course, something had gone wrong. She didn't even know how it happened either, just that she wasn't safe outside of this place for now.

Mello was now curious about June's brother. Who was this detective that L seemed to think highly of? He wanted to ask, but something told him that he wouldn't get an answer.

Matt caught up to them, too lazy to actually run after them, and was shocked to find L.

L, by then, had turned his attention back to June.

"So, how have you been? Have you been eating well?"

June nodded.

"Mmm-hmmm."

"Really? What did you eat so far today?"

June looked down as she answered. She couldn't lie to her brother.

"I had an apple and some chips for lunch."

"Is that all for this day? It's nearly five. You need to eat more than that."

She looked back up at him.

"But I'm not all that hungry."

L frowned.

"It's not healthy to eat like that. Come on, let's go have dinner."

L grabbed June's hand and they started walking to the kitchen.

Matt stood there, surprised that L was giving June so much attention. Mello, however, was fuming in a jealous rage. Why should she get so much attention from L? Who was she? Mello decided then that he was going to find out.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello! I know that I just updated last night, but I felt like putting up another update. I'm not completely sure how I feel about this chapter, so will you let me know what you think of it. In other words, please review.**

**Also, I have been thinking about this for a while. I have been told that I have trouble with tenses in past chapters. I'm pretty sure I don't have that problem as much in later chapters, but I think I'll go ahead and say this.**

**If you are interested in being a Beta for this story, then please message me and I'll send you the next update when I have it. I will go by the first come, first serve basis.**

**Now for the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own my OC, June.**

Chapter 19

"So, how have you been doing June?"

L and June were both in the room L occupied whenever he was over, plates of food in front of them. The difference was that June's plate consisted of actual dinner food while L had sweets in his.

"I've been doing fine. Can I have a cookie?"

"June, you can't just eat sweets whenever you do eat something. It's not good for you."

After he said this, he took a bite of cake.

"Hey, double standard!" June pointed at him accusingly.

"I need sweets to be able to solve cases. You don't. Now finish your food. You really need to eat more food more often."

June huffed as she saw that she was going to lose this argument and ate a roasted potato.

"June, why was Mello chasing after you earlier? What did you do?"

June looked away.

"I didn't do nothing to him. He was just chasing me for no reason."

L gave her a stern look.

"June, first of all, that was a double negative. Second, I know you better than that. Now, what did you do?"

June caved, knowing he was going to find out anyway.

"I took one of his chocolate bars. He gets really mad whenever I do that."

"So you did this before? He has a short temper."

"That's why he's so fun to mess with." She giggled.

L's eyes widened for a second, and then he continued to give her a stern look.

"June, there's the possibility that he'll inherit my title. You promised that you'll help out the successor if it comes to it. You really need to be more cooperative with him."

June frowned.

"But he's a jerk! Why should I cooperate with him! Plus, I thought that Near would get it since he's first."

L sighed.

"I know that he sometimes let's his emotions get to him from what I heard, but you're not helping the situation either by tormenting him. And even if Near is in first, he has his weak points as well. They're both good candidates, but they both have their faults. I'm sure that if you study the both of them more, you would know what I mean. Also, you could at least try to be nicer to Mello. I didn't let you learn martial arts just so you could beat people up."

June looked up at him, wondering how he knew that. L seemed to have read her mind.

"Roger told me that you and Mello have been getting into trouble lately because of fights."

June looked down at her now empty plate.

"June, I have to go do something, so you can go play with some of your friends now. I'll meet up with you later."

She nodded and left the room with L right behind her.

As she left, Linda came up.

"Hey June, want to come draw something in the art room? You can bring you boom box if you want."

June smiled at this. She honestly thought she wasn't very good at drawing, but she _loved_ to listen to music.

"Sure."

She made to follow Linda when she heard the evening news drift in from another room. It was an American newscast. She never asked how they got the channels, but she didn't really care about that anyway. But, she _did_ care about what the reporter was talking about.

"_Even though the police have searched everywhere and the police forces of bordering states have been on alert, the person who had killed two former FBI agents in an L.A. shopping district has still not been found. They are having an especially difficult time since no one knows who this person looks like…."_

June stopped as the information sunk in.

L saw this and then heard the news. He sighed. He knew what was going on. Even if she wouldn't admit that something was troubling her, he still knew when something did. L didn't like the fact that he got away anymore than she did, and she was still afraid from what happened.

Linda turned around when she noticed that June stopped.

"Is something wrong?"

June snapped out of her thoughts as she looked to Linda. She had then put on what she hoped was a convincing smile.

"No, nothing's wrong."

She walked forward and grabbed Linda's sleeve.

"Come on, let's go."

L watched as the two girls disappeared down the hallway.

"Ok you two, come on out. I know you're there."

From the same room that the news broadcast came from, Matt and Mello walked out with a defeated look on their faces.

"How did you know we were there?"

L pointed to a wrapper on the floor next to the door.

"You left that on the ground, and there was a good chance that Matt was with you."

Mello nearly face palmed himself for his own stupidity of leaving such incriminating evidence behind like that.

"If I had to guess, you also tried to listen in on my conversation with June and found out that the door was really thick."

Mello blushed slightly at having been found out so easily.

"Let me guess, you wanted to know more about June."

"…..Maybe…."

L looked up as though thinking about something.

"Well, I won't tell you everything, but I will tell you a little something about her."

Mello perked up at this.

"Just understand that I can't disclose who her brother is to you."

Now he was a bit disappointed. He should have known that L wouldn't tell him that.

"Well come on, I'll tell you in here."

L walked back into his room with Mello and Matt following.

After getting into his usual position in his chair, L started to speak.

"Now, I understand that you," he pointed to Mello, "have been getting into fights with her. I'll tell you now that that isn't a good idea. She has been taught some martial arts and knows the location of some pressure points on the human body. It would be best not to pick a fight with her."

Mello nearly blushed in embarrassment. Matt was trying not to laugh.

"Well, she started them. She would insult me and steal my stuff. She does this almost everyday."

L nodded.

"And just how long has this been going on?"

Matt answered this.

"Since a week after she came here."

L seemed a bit surprised.

"Only a week? It normally takes more than a month at least before she even talks to anybody, let alone start insulting them. However, she has always been a bit mischievous."

Mello blinked.

"Huh?"

"I guess I should explain. I've known her and her brother for a long time. I know that she's actually a very shy person. When she meets someone new, she really doesn't say anything until she has known the person for one or two months at least. You have to be something in order to get her to talk."

Mello didn't completely comprehend what L was telling him. How could that little monster actually be such a shy little girl?

"However, I also understand that she seemed to have attached herself to you," he pointed to Matt, "because from what I heard, she is either with you or with Linda. It's not so surprising that she would attach herself to someone, though. Even though she's shy, she hates being alone."

"Really?" Matt didn't know this.

"She didn't seem too troubled or anything when she was by herself the first week she was here."

"That's because she doesn't tell anyone when something's bothering her. I'm not sure if she has too much pride to say that something's bothering her or if she just doesn't want to bother other people with her problems, but she won't say when she's scared or hurt or even sad. She tends to keep these things to herself. You have to call her out on it in order to try to get her to admit anything."

Matt found that interesting, but Mello didn't care about it. Why should he care if she was having problems she was too proud to admit to having?

"Like just now, did you noticed how she stopped in front of the door you were hiding behind?"

Now that Matt thought about it, he did notice a change in June's behavior before she left with Linda. What was that about?

Mello did notice it, but he didn't say anything.

"You know the news report that was on the TV right then? You remembered the details of the murders that happened over two months ago in L.A.?"

They both nodded. They were both in their shared room when the report started on the TV.

_This evening, a man and a woman, both identified as former FBI agents, have been murdered in a shopping district in downtown L.A. No one knows who the killer looks like. There were no witnesses and all of the security cameras have mysteriously been shut off just before the killings. Two blocks away, a little girl was found, alive, in the ventilation system of a store that was closing at the time of the murders. No one knows who it was who found the girl, but he has assured the clerk who had let him in the store that she was his sister and that she was safe with him. No one knows who the little girl was or who the man was, and the police couldn't identify them since the security cameras were off for several city blocks. Some people claimed that the little girl had been with the victims before the murders, but the brother had insisted that she wasn't to be questioned by the police….._

Mello looked up after his little flashback.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

L was silent for a moment before answering.

"She was the little girl that was found in the vents of a store after the murders. Someone had attempted to kidnap her that day."

It was silent for a moment. Matt could hardly believe his ears. Someone was out to kidnap her? That was why L suggested that she stayed at Wammy's?

Mello was surprised by it too. It was true that few people knew about Wammy's, so she was probably safer here than she was at most places. But, she didn't act traumatized or anything. Except for when she froze outside of their hiding place. But then, L just told them that she kept her problems to herself.

"The truth is I think that she's still scared from that. Since the killer hadn't been caught, he could still be looking for her. She may not act like it, but she's probably scared that he'll find her again."

Mello scoffed at this.

"Like anyone could find her here. Everyone here has an alias. Plus, this guy probably isn't smart enough to look for someone in an orphanage if they still had family."

"Actually, you'd be surprised how smart this killer is."

This caught his attention.

"Is it someone you know?"

L brought his finger to his mouth.

"I have my suspicions of who it is. The problem is that he's hard to find and I can't confirm if it actually is him. I secretly took on this case for her brother so that he could be at ease. He's very worried about what would happen if she went out again."

That made sense. Mello wasn't going to admit it, but he felt a little sorry for her. She had been living in fear from someone L was having a hard time finding. She must be stressed out by that.

"He had also been worried about how she would do here. He had raised her since she was a baby, and she had never been to anything like a school. She never even had any interaction with anyone her age. He was kind of afraid that she would go into some kind of depression. But, he'll be glad to hear that she's doing fine. I do suggest that you would get into fewer fights with her."

Matt now completely understood why she acted so timid on her first day there. Mello was now angry at her all over again.

"Well tell her to stop starting them. Even if she lies about it."

"I'll admit that she's sometimes sarcastic and a smartass, in fact I don't even know where she gets it from because her brother is nothing like that, but she doesn't necessarily lie. She lies some of the time when there's no way to give only part of the truth. That is one difference between her and her brother. Her brother would give a straight lie. She would only give half truths and subtle hints to the truth. However, the hints are very subtle, so you have to be able to read her in order to get the truth from her. She is a very stubborn person when it comes to getting the truth out of; then again, she was raised like that. She tends to be careful with her words so you have to listen to her closely."

Mello couldn't believe everything that L was telling him.

"Why would I need to know this?"

L looked at him straight in the eye.

"This is just in case. You never know who you may end up working with. Plus, you have to be something special to get her to talk so much. She either likes you or hates you. That would be hard to determine though because she treats the person the same both ways."

Mello's eye began to twitch. He had a hard time believing that she would beat up someone she liked, so he was certain that she didn't like him just as he didn't like her.

"Why should I care about this? I doubt that I would have to work with her."

"Well then, think of it as a challenge. She can be a hard person to read. I think that the only two people who can read her are me and her brother. Nobody else has been able to accomplish that so far."

Only two people could read her? Mello didn't want to get to know her, but he couldn't help but be tempted by the challenge. If L was the only person that could read her, then being able to do so could put him in the same league as him.

Matt was silent the whole time. He couldn't help but think that there was a reason that L wasn't telling them about why he wanted them to associate with her. Well, he was already friends with her, but L seemed to be trying to get Mello to do the same. It could be that L just wanted them to stop fighting, but that didn't seem to be it for some reason. Matt couldn't place his finger on it. Even if he was only third, he could still pick up on things like this.

He looked over at Mello. Of course, Mello didn't seem to be thinking what Matt was thinking. He was too distracted by the word "challenge".

He wasn't sure how much Mello cared about the stuff L said about June, but Matt found it very informative. It would be easier to be friends with her if he had a better understanding about who she was. She was either tormenting Mello or teasing Matt and seemed to be cheerful. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something since she "lost" to Near. He wondered just how hard it could be to figure her out.

"Well, that's all I'm telling you. If you want to know more, you have to get it from her. I wish you luck on that. You should probably get going now."

Silently, Matt and Mello left, letting what L told them sink in.


	20. AN plus short

**Hello again. **

**I know that to those of you that stuck with the story so far are expecting an update, but I only had enough time lately to improve the first three chapter of the story. I stuck with the first three because they sucked out loud compared to later chapters. I am planning on rewriting a couple of other chapters to take care of the problem with tenses, but for now, I thought you guys needed a better beginning. **

**So be sure to go back to chapter one and read the new and improved chapters and let me know what you think.**

**While I'm at it, I think I'll go ahead and recognize those of you that have reviewed, favorited, alerted, etc. And those people are:**

**f-f-frances, Never and Forever X, Kira the Wolf, XxXO t a k u F r e a kXxX, Amy122, jazzy-me123, Triple Rainbow, TopGearGirl, shinigami777, EvaTheNymphe, Dani AnneMarie, Ava. N. Nightingale, AnimeLuvr4Life, .Xx, Kidaowre, Kaiyila, DarkMarionette182, BlackMoonWhiteSky.**

**I thank you all for letting me know that you are following the story and motivate me to continue!**

**I know you guys want to read more about June and Mello's past, so I'll give you a little moment between the two that I wasn't sure I would be able to put into the story. This takes place during the couple of years they had been friends and not enemies. **

**I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own my OC, June.**

June was bored. Honestly, all Mello ever wanted to do was study and try to one up Near.

She sighed. She kept telling him to get over his inferiority complex, but he was still in denial.

Matt was playing video games and it was raining outside. She had nothing to do. She got up and left the guys' room, seeing that they weren't going to be any fun today.

Matt was too busy playing a video game to notice, but Mello noticed. He knew that June always complained about his study sessions and the fact that he would try to get her to study with him sometimes. She got bored too easily. The only reason she had kept quiet for so long was because she had been listening to her iPod the whole time.

He tapped his pencil against the desk. Should he take a break and hang out with her for a while? Not because he cared that she was bored out of her head, but because sometimes she had gotten herself in trouble and he and Matt would somehow end up in the middle of things and get in trouble with Roger along with her.

He honestly had no idea how that happened either.

Well, maybe since it was raining outside, she would actually find something productive to do that wouldn't get her into trouble.

Mello frowned when he remembered that the only time she did that was when she decided to play with Near.

That was exactly what she went to do. Yeah, Near was still suspicious of her because she would appear to be winning and then pull off a last minute loss, but he let her play with his toys and puzzles when Mello and Matt were too busy with their own thing to hang out with her. Not to mention the rain kept her inside, which made her a bit irritable.

She decided to look in the collection of toys that was around Near. She was pretty irritable today. She was stuck inside and both of her friends decided to do boring stuff today. Well, video games weren't really boring, but she did get tired of just watching Matt play a one-player game.

Studying was in fact really boring. She thought that Mello studied too much, that he worried too much about what rank he was. Not to mention the fact that he would try to drag her in to study with him.

She stopped her train of thought when she spotted a little black ball in the midst of the toys.

She picked it up. It was slightly smaller than the palm of her hand, although she did have small hands.

It felt like it was made of…..rubber? Maybe it was a bouncy ball?

"Careful with that. That's a super ball. It has a lot more bounce to it than a regular bouncy ball."

Really? She decided to test that out.

She bounced it against the floor as hard as she could. It less than a second, it bounced up and then off of the ceiling. Apparently, it had hit the ceiling at an angle or something, because it took off in one direction, hit the floor, the ceiling again, then the wall on the far side, hit the floor, and then after it passed June, missing her by an inch, someone cried out.

She turned around to see that the super ball had hit Mello right in the center of his forehead. The super ball then went back towards June and she caught it.

She stared for a second before she started laughing her ass off. That was the funniest thing that happened all day!

Mello, however, didn't think that it was funny at all. He decided to stop studying for a while and all he got was a ball to the face! That hurt like hell!

June saw that Mello was pissed, but she kept giggling. Then she saw the bruise that was forming on his head. It was already turning purple.

Damn! When Near said it had more bounce, he really did mean it. She couldn't recall a bouncy ball that could cause that kind of damage on someone.

She stopped giggling when she started to feel a bit guilty. Even though she was irritated about being ignored by the guys, she wasn't planning on bruising them, at least today. She figured she should give Mello a break once in a while.

She walked up to where she was practically in his face and raised her hand to the bruise. She barely touched it and he winced.

Mello, meanwhile, was trying to slow down the beating of his heart as she got so close. He had no idea why it did that just that it was always when June got so close and it was sometimes accompanied by heat rising in his face. He didn't want that to happen now. However, that didn't stop the slight blush that rose to his cheeks when she touched his forehead.

Of course, that was accompanied by a slight pain on his forehead, making him wince a bit.

She retracted her hand.

"That's a really bad bruise. Plus, I think it's starting to swell."

Bruise? Swell? What the _hell_ did he get hit with?

She huffed and grabbed his hand.

"Come on, I'll get you some ice. And, if you're willing to cooperate, I have something that could cover the bruise if you don't want others to see it."

Before he could say anything, June started dragging Mello behind her so that she could at least do this one thing for him.


	21. Chapter 20

**Once again, I'm back! I hope you enjoyed the new versions of the earlier chapters. I am planning on fixing the tenses in some of the others, but I feel like going forward for now.**

**So, back to Wammy's!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own my OC, June.**

Chapter 20

Several months passed since L had chatted with Matt and Mello about June.

All that time she had been there, they still didn't know much about her.

L was right. She really didn't talk much. Even while she was with Matt, she had gotten away with not saying much. Although that could be because Matt was always playing a video game.

In fact, the only person that was able to get more than a couple of words from her was -

"HEY! GIVE ME BACK MY CD PLAYER, YOU ASS! NOW BEFORE I BEAT YOUR SCRAWNY ASS AND THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW!"

Yep, Mello. He was the only person that got her to talk and whenever she did, she would be pissed off about something. Matt was pretty sure that the only thing Mello learned about her was what pissed her off the most. Which were stealing her CDs and/or CD player, swiping her book, insulting her in any way…..

Matt was pretty sure the list was longer, but he figured Mello was the only one to know the whole list.

She especially hated it if you stole her music from her. You had to pray that she wouldn't find you if you did that.

Like right now, she was chasing Mello down, who took off with her CD player because she had stolen some of his chocolate again.

June and Mello still got into fights, but they hadn't been fighting as often as they had before L's visit months ago. Apparently, L talked to June about the fighting and told her to knock it off as well because she instigated the fights less often.

Anyway, back to the situation that was happening now.

June was running after Mello, who had her CD player in hand. It was almost December and it was snowing outside, so June was chasing Mello inside.

Once he got to the playroom, he stumbled a bit over his own feet. By the time he recovered, June had tackled him to the ground from behind.

He landed on his stomach with the hand holding the CD player up. Before he had a chance to do anything, she snatched the CD player from him and got up.

She looked down at him, as if thinking of what to do about him, and then shrugged.

She turned around while putting on her headphones and walked away.

Mello grumbled a bit before getting up himself and trudging to his and Matt's room.

When he got there, June was lying on his bed, listening to music from her headphones.

Why did she have to hang out in their room?

Mello sat down at his desk and opened his textbook. As long as she didn't bother him, he would allow this until he wanted his bed back.

"You spend too much time studying. Why don't you have some fun once in a while?"

Damn it. He should have known better than to think that she would leave him alone.

June was only telling him her honest opinion. She had been watching and studying him and Near to see why L wasn't able to choose between the two.

She was pretty sure that she knew now. Mello was short-tempered, let his emotions control some of his decisions, and could be pretty rash sometimes. Ok, most of the time, he was rash.

He also had an inferiority complex, especially when it came to Near. He didn't like being second. He wanted to be first, to be better than her brother, even. She knew that that wouldn't happen for a long time at the rate he was going, but she would admit that she didn't like losing anymore than he did. But she also thought that he was being childish about it. Although her brother was also childish and hated to lose.

She shook her head. Even then, he simply lacked the calm, the composure, to stop and think things through with his head, not his emotions.

Although, he was willing to take action, unlike Near. Near was calm, intelligent, and used his head. She had yet to see him use any emotion whatsoever besides suspicion if that counted.

But, she didn't think he had what it took to act on something. She didn't think that, if need be, he would go out into the streets himself to solve a case if he needed to.

She knew that her brother also sat behind a computer and gave directions most of the time, but he also got out and took action to solve a case. After all, no one knew what L looked like, and she was pretty sure that no one would guess someone like him to be the world's greatest detective if they ever saw him.

She didn't think that Near could do that.

So she saw why her brother kept debating. They both had flaws that would hinder them when solving a case, but they also had strengths that were needed. In her opinion, the best option would be to have them work together, but she knew that if she brought that up, Mello would only bitch and moan and would just not cooperate with him.

"I mean, you spend almost all of your time studying. That's boring. You need to have a day off from studying once in a while."

Mello turned to glare at her.

"I don't need to take a break. I'm going to beat Near and I have to study to do that. Now leave me alone."

Matt was surprise that Mello didn't go off on her. Maybe he didn't want to fight now.

June frowned. Honestly, she thought that he was going to mentally kill himself with all of the studying he did. People needed to cut themselves some slack once in a while, so why wouldn't he cut himself some slack? It wasn't like anybody was going to inherit the title anytime soon, anyway.

"Well, if you insist, do you want some help?" She did promise L that she would help his successor. She couldn't say that Mello would succeed him, but she promised to be nicer to him and she had nothing better to do.

She knew that he didn't need help, but it couldn't hurt to ask if he wanted it. Some people appreciated help that was offered them even if they didn't need it, right?

Mello's eyes widened. She was offering to help him? Where did that come from?

He gritted his teeth. He didn't need her help. He didn't need anybody's help. He was going to beat Near on his own. He didn't need anybody to help him do that.

"I don't _need_ your help. I can take the sheep down on my own. Now _leave me alone_."

Okay, he was starting to get pissed. Matt could tell. He also knew that June asked if he _wanted_ help, not if he needed help.

Ever since their talk with L, he had been trying to listen closely to her words to hear if they had some double meaning. So far, she didn't speak enough for him to get anything. But he did hear that she said "want", not "need". There was a difference between the two words.

She probably knew that Mello didn't need help, that he was capable of doing it on his own. In that case, was she trying to be nice to him? He wondered what L told her. It was a surprise that she would offer Mello anything.

June frowned. Apparently, Mello wasn't one of those people. She knew that he didn't need help. She just asked if he wanted it. But it was his choice if he wanted to be an ass about it.

She decided to drop it and listen to her music.

….

A couple of hours later, Mello closed his book since it was almost dinner time.

It had been quiet for a while. He wondered what was up.

He turned around to see that June had fallen asleep on his bed. Great.

Now he had to wake her up. He got up and walked over to June and started shaking her.

"Hey June. Wake up. It's time for dinner."

No response.

"Hey, wake up already."

Nothing.

"Hey June! Wake up!"

Still nothing.

"Here, let me try something."

Matt turned off his game station and walked over to June. He reached over and grabbed her headphones.

The second the headphones were pulled off, her hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.

Mello made note of that in case he had to wake her up again.

She slowly opened her eyes.

"What?"

"It's almost time for dinner."

"I'm not hungry."

Matt frowned.

"But you didn't eat much today, did you? You need to come and eat with us." Someone had to make sure she didn't starve herself.

She took back her headphones, put them on, and rolled over onto her side facing away from them.

"No thanks."

Mello was getting annoyed again. He looked over at Matt. It didn't look like he was ready to give up the argument. Mello huffed.

He grabbed June by the back of her jacket and yanked her off the bed. He dragged her away with her struggling and shouting.

"What the hell, Mello? I said I wasn't hungry! Let go of me! MELLO!"

Matt watched as his friends left the room. Honestly, it was a surprise that they were able to stand each other enough to stay in the same room for as long as they did.

Oh well. Matt grabbed his handheld and followed his friends out the door.

….

A couple of days later, June noticed that Matt was carrying a chocolate bar as he made his way out of the playroom. Curiosity got the better of her, and she followed him out after giving Near back one of his puzzles. He was still suspicious of her, but he let her play with some of his puzzles and what not.

She followed Matt, but she didn't think he noticed her there.

When he opened the door to his and Mello's room, he sighed in relief when he saw that the blonde wasn't there.

"What are you doing?"

He jumped and turned around, seeing the other blonde was right behind him. When did she get there?

He pulled her into the room before Mello could come by and notice the two of them.

As he shut the door, June started questioning him.

"What was that for? Why are you trying to be sneaky? Why do you have a chocolate bar? Did you steal from Mello's stash?"

Matt looked at her as he started explaining.

"No, I didn't steal from Mello's stash. One, he would kill me. Two, I don't really like chocolate. I was trying to sneak the chocolate in here so that Mello wouldn't notice it because his birthday is coming up and I don't know what else to get him."

June blinked.

"His birthday is coming up?"

"Yeah, it's on the 13th. He's going to be eleven. I would have gotten something for you if you said when your birthday was."

"What, you never asked. Besides, I didn't mind at all as I already told you."

Yes, he remembered her saying that on her birthday. How did he know when her birthday was?

_It was October 16__th__ and June was reading in the playroom once again. Suddenly, Roger came up and handed her a gift-wrapped box._

"_This is from your brother. He wanted to wish you a happy birthday."_

_With that, he left._

_Linda, who was nearby when that happened, heard that._

"_What? It's your birthday today? Why didn't you say so?"_

_Matt and Mello, who were passing by, heard what Linda said, as well as Near, since he was always there._

"_Nobody ever asked. Besides, I didn't want to make a big deal about it."_

"_What are you talking about? It's your birthday! Why not make a big deal about it? Oh, now I feel bad that I didn't get you anything."_

"_I really don't mind. You don't have to give me anything."_

"_Oh, but we must do something. How old are you now?"_

"_Nine."_

"_Well, we are going to go do something special. Matt, Mello, want to come along?"_

_Matt was surprised that she didn't say anything about an upcoming birthday. Then again, she didn't really talk a whole lot._

_Mello didn't particularly care that her birthday was today. If she didn't want to celebrate it, why bother?_

"_Sure." Matt was on board._

"_No thanks. I have better things to do."_

_Linda frowned._

"_That's not nice. You have to be nice to the birthday girl today!"_

"_Well I don't care. Later, Matt."_

_With that, Mello left._

_Matt thought that he should have been a bit nicer, but that was just him. June looked like she expected that kind of reaction and didn't say anything._

"_Well, come on! Let's go!" Linda grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off to the kitchen to make a birthday cake._

"Well, anyway, I had to make sure that Mello didn't see his birthday gift."

"Ok, but you are forgetting something. This is _Mello_ we're talking about. He could _smell_ the chocolate. You are going to need a good hiding place for it."

"Ok, what do you suggest?"

She looked around the room.

She then pointed out the hamper.

"Why not in the hamper? The smell of dirty clothes will throw him off and no one will think of looking in there, mainly because they won't want to go near it."

She had a point. No one will think of looking for a chocolate bar there. But she was talking about putting _food _in the dirty clothes pile. He was pretty sure that wasn't sanitary. In fact, it sounded more like a way to get revenge on someone.

"….No thanks."

"What? It's in a wrapper, so nothing would happen to it. But, if you insist, just wrap it in plastic and put it somewhere out of sight."

Matt kind of glared at her. He was going to put it out of sight anyway. The only difference was the plastic.

But he did it anyway. After he was done, she then started tugging on his arm.

"Now come on! Let's go outside! I want to play out in the snow."

Matt wanted to protest, but he knew that June would be stubborn and keep persisting until he caved. He figured he would go ahead with it since this was actually one of the longer conversations that they had.

"Ok."

"Awwww. You gave up early. Oh well. Get your coat and everything and meet me at the door."

She walked out, leaving Matt to stare at her leaving. She wanted him to fight back? Did she think that he wasn't stubborn enough? He didn't get her part of the time. But, he got his coat, gloves, hat, and everything and prepared to go outside with June.

Mello walked by the front entrance to see June geared up to go outside. She seemed to be waiting for something. Mello figured out what it was when Matt came by, also prepared to go outside.

Mello frowned. June had convinced him to go outside in this weather? Matt hated going outside.

Great, he was hoping to hang out with Matt, but it looked like he would have to hang out with June as well. Mello stood there for a moment, and then went to go get his coat.

June was pelting Matt with snowballs when Mello made it outside and out towards them. They actually got pretty far out. They were at the top of the hill that went down to the pond that was there. It just couldn't be seen since it was covered in snow.

June looked over and saw Mello when she heard someone walking towards them.

"Hey Mello! Interested in joining our snowball fight?"

Mello frowned and looked away.

"What makes you think that I'll play?"

"Because you're already part of the game!"

After she said that, she nailed him in the head with a snowball.

Mello growled.

"That's it! You're going down!"

"In your dreams!"

She laughed as she made another snowball.

For a half an hour, Matt, Mello, and June were going around and pelting each other with snowballs. Mello probably wouldn't admit it, but he actually was having fun with the both of them. He could tell June was having fun because she kept laughing.

Mello snuck over to another tree. He looked around to see June not too far away. She didn't see him and was too busy trying to make another snowball.

He took the chance and jumped her, causing her to fall down. He pinned her down on her back.

"Ha! I got you!"

She smiled up at him, throwing him off as she flipped him so that she was on top.

"Now I got you!" She laughed.

Mello smirked up at her. She tilted her head to the side, confused, until he pushed her off of him.

"Ha! Think again."

When he didn't hear a response, he looked over. June wasn't there. He got up to see that he had pushed her down the hill.

She was at the bottom, getting up. It didn't look like she was hurt. In fact, she was laughing.

"Oh, I'm going to get you for that!" She yelled playfully.

"June! Get out of there now!"

Mello looked over to Matt, a bit confused.

"What do you mean?"

Matt looked over to Mello, worried.

"Mello, don't you remember that there's a _pond_ down there."

Mello's eyes widened and he froze as he heard a sound you didn't want to hear in the middle of winter: the sound of ice cracking and someone falling in the water.


	22. Chapter 21

**I'm back, baby! And with chapter 21! I'm glad to hear that some of you really enjoyed the story so far! I'm trying to update on a somewhat regular basis, but, eventually, I have to study for midterms and plan out next semester's schedule. It's amazing how time flies. It feels as though the first day was only two weeks ago…..**

**Anyway, enough with my rambling. You guys are here to read the latest chapter.**

**Disclaimer: No matter how much I wish it otherwise, I do not own Death Note (oh the chaos I would create if I did). I do own my OC, June, and that's a fact.**

Chapter 21

Mello whipped his head towards where June was supposed to be. Instead of her standing there laughing as she was a second ago, there were chunks of ice and dark, cold water. June wasn't there.

A couple of seconds later, she surfaced.

"Oh s-s-s-s-s-s-shit!"

She had never felt so cold before. She had fallen through at the edge of the pond. She tried to get a grip on the bank so that she could pull herself out. She knew that she would die in no time, especially given her small body.

She raised a shaky arm and tried to pull herself out on the ground, but her arm would keep slipping. She couldn't get a grip on the snow-covered ground.

Was it just her, or were her limbs starting to lose all feeling? She couldn't feel anything. She tried kicking her legs to stay up, but her movements were starting to get sluggish. Could a person really freeze this fast, or was it because she was a small girl?

She didn't know. She couldn't bring herself to remember how long she had until she would lose consciousness. In fact, was she starting to feel sleepy already?

She could feel herself sinking. She wanted to scream for help, but she couldn't get her voice to cooperate with her with how much she was shaking. Freezing to death was actually a very painful way to die.

Mello could hardly believe this was happening. She couldn't get out. She was freezing to death.

As soon as he realized that she needed help, he raced down the hill without slipping so that he wouldn't end up in the water with her.

He made it down just in time for her to start sinking. Did she already lose feeling in her legs?

He wasted no time in reaching his arm in after her and grabbed her arm. He had some difficulty pulling her out until Matt came up and helped him heave her out. It was amazing how much heavier wet clothes made you.

When they pull her out, she was violently shaking and was taking painful gasps of air. They had to get her inside and out of the wet clothes.

"Matt, grab her legs. We need to get her inside."

Matt made no arguments as he grabbed her legs and Mello grabbed her under the arms. When they were sure they wouldn't drop her, they made their way back as fast as they could.

The whole way back, Mello couldn't help but feel guilty as he felt her shake and suffer from the immense cold. After all, he was the one that pushed her down the hill. It was his fault that she was suffering and could have frozen to death back there.

When they made it inside, they immediately sought out one of the caretakers.

The moment the lady saw them carrying the drenched girl, she took her from their hands and rushed her over to the infirmary. Matt and Mello followed.

A few minutes later, June was stripped to her underwear and wrapped in a thick, dry blanket. The boys, of course, didn't see her get stripped of her clothes, but they stuck around to make sure that she was okay. She was still a bit blue in the lips.

The caretaker saw them and led them out.

"You boys know where her room is, right? I want you to bring me a pair of warm clothes for her. And hurry!"

It took them a while to find her room, but they eventually found it with the door unlock. Mello figured that leaving your door unlocked wasn't smart, but right now, it saved them some time in getting in.

Matt opened the first drawer he got to and saw a pair of black sweats. He grabbed them and he and Mello ran back to the infirmary.

Once she was changed into dry clothes (again, the boys didn't watch), she was huddled on the bed with the blanket draped around her. She was still shaking.

The caretaker walked up to them.

"I hate to ask this of you, but could you make sure that she gets warmed-up. I have to check on the other children that are sick today."

Matt nodded and she left.

Matt and Mello were debating about how to get her to warm-up faster, when Matt came up with an idea.

"Why not body heat?"

"What?"

Mello didn't get it at first, but he understood when Matt hopped up on the bed next to her and pulled her closer to him. After a couple of minutes, she seemed to be shivering less.

Matt looked up at Mello.

"Well, come on. We have to make sure she gets warmed-up."

Mello hesitated at first, but then moved to the bed and got on. It was his fault that she was like this in the first place. It was the least he could do.

He wrapped his arms around her, feeling awkward about it, and pulled her in so that she was between the two boys. She still felt pretty cold.

Slowly but surely, she seemed to be warming up. She still felt tired. She would probably be kept in the infirmary overnight anyway, so she decided that there wouldn't be any harm in going to sleep.

Mello stiffened as he felt her rest her head against his chest. He looked down to see that she had fallen asleep. She must have been tired from the whole ordeal. He decided not to say anything about it.

The caretaker came back to see the girl had fallen asleep between her friends.

She felt her skin to feel that she was warming up.

"Okay, I think you guys have done enough for now. I'm going to keep her here overnight to make sure she'll be fine. Since tomorrow's Saturday, you can come here in the morning to check on her yourselves."

Matt sighed.

"Thanks. We will."

Matt had let go of her and hopped off, leaving Mello to lay her down before getting off the bed himself.

She was fast asleep and didn't stir as he put her down.

Mello took one last look before leaving the infirmary.

…..

The next morning after breakfast, Matt and Mello went to the infirmary to see June drinking up some hot chocolate that the caretaker had offered her a few minutes ago.

She looked up and smiled when she saw the two walking in.

"Hey guys."

"Hey! I see you're doing okay."

She smiled towards Matt.

"I'm doing fine, thank you very much."

She looked over towards Mello who was still standing next to the door.

"Hey Mello! What are you doing way over there? Can't you see the party's over here?"

Mello hesitantly got closer. Was she not going to blame him for pushing her out onto the pond in the first place?

When Mello got next to the bed, he spoke up.

"What do you want?"

She looked at him curiously.

"I just wanted to say thanks."

He blinked.

"Huh?"

She smiled again.

"Yeah. You pulled me out of the pond, right? And you also helped me get warmed-up. I'm not some ungrateful brat. I should at least thank you."

Mello just stared at her. Then he turned his head away from her as he felt his cheeks heat up.

"Yeah, well….whatever."

"Hey! Don't forget that I helped too!"

June looked over to see Matt pouting. She laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Of course I didn't forget. So stop pouting."

Mello stared back at her. So, she wasn't going to blame him?

He felt relieved.

"Yeah, well, just stay warm for now."

She looked over towards Mello. She had noticed that he looked somewhat guilty earlier.

Of course she wasn't going to have any hard feelings about being pushed down the hill. They were just playing and sometimes shit happens. Since she made it out okay, there was no reason to bitch him out about it.

Once the caretaker allowed it, she left the infirmary with her friends. Yes, she was going to count Mello as her friend. After all, he and Matt did save her from freezing to death.

She started thinking that she should do something for him in return, but what? She remembered that Matt said his birthday was coming up, but she didn't know what to get him.

"Hey June!" She snapped out of her thoughts and looked towards Matt.

"Want to lose to me at another video game?"

She smirked. Oh, she couldn't resist the challenge of trying to prove him wrong.

"I'm not so sure about the losing part, but I will play a video game with you. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky."

Matt smirked.

"Or maybe you'll suck like last time."

Grrrrrr. Just because he was insanely good at video games didn't mean that her time wouldn't come eventually. One of these days, she was going to beat him. It wasn't that she would lose to him on purpose. He really was better than her at video games. But she could never resist the challenge of trying to beat him.

"We'll just see about that."

With that, they took off towards Matt and Mello's room to play, leaving Mello to trail behind and shake his head at their antics.

….

Mello woke up on the 13th to face another day of classes. He looked at Matt, who was still sound asleep.

Mello picked up a shoe and threw it at him. That was met with a grunt.

"Wake up Matt. We have to get ready for classes."

Matt groaned, but started moving anyway. If he didn't, Mello would just throw more things at him.

That was when Matt remembered something.

"Hey Mello."

"What?"

Mello didn't look over as he was too busy getting ready.

Suddenly, something struck him upside the head. He turned around and looked down to see that it was a chocolate bar.

"Happy Birthday."

Mello smirked.

He picked it up and put it in his pocket.

"Thanks Matt."

With that, they finished getting ready and went to go get June.

It had become a habit after she had slept in a couple of times. The teacher made it Matt's job, which was now Mello's job as well, to go and make sure that she got up for class on time.

Her door was unlocked, as usual, and after knocking for a minute, they both came in to see that she was, indeed, still asleep.

Mello started shaking her.

"June, wake up! It's time to get ready for class!"

Waking up June in the morning could get really tricky, especially since she didn't go to bed with her headphones on like she did when she took a nap. It also didn't help that she was a heavy sleeper.

"Hey! I'm serious!"

"Uh, Mello."

"What!"

He turned around to see Matt holding a bucket full of water. Mello smirked.

He grabbed the bucket and dumped it on June.

She jumped up and out of bed and landed on the floor. When she looked up, she saw the two boys laughing at her reaction.

She then proceeded to kick them out of her room.

A few minutes later, she came out ready for class, but her hair was still wet.

She glared at the two.

"I'm going to get you guys for this later."

Mello rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." He grabbed her arm.

"Come on or we'll be late."

The two blondes and red head then made their way to math class, where June just watched Matt play a video game the whole time.

…..

Classes were now over for the day and for some reason, June disappeared on the two boys. They checked the playroom, the hallways, and her room. They just couldn't find her.

At least until –

"Hey! Mello!"

Mello turned around just in time for something to hit him in the face.

Before he could yell at her for it, she yelled back.

"Happy Birthday!"

He blinked. She knew it was his birthday today? He thought that Matt was the only one who knew that.

He looked down at the gift-wrapped box that she pelted him with. It was no bigger than his hand. He shook it to hear something rattle in it.

He wondered what it was.

Matt was too busy playing a video game to notice much.

Mello tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box. What was in it took him by surprise.

It was a rosary. He picked it up. Yes, it was indeed a beaded rosary. He was staring at the crucifix, wondering why she got him it. He had a rosary, but the string broke and the beads scattered, some of them getting broken by people stepping on them, a while ago.

"I noticed that you had one, but it was broken, so I got you a new one."

He blinked, not sure of what to say.

"Um….thanks."

He felt some heat come to his cheeks but he ignored that as he saw a slip of paper inside the box. He picked it up and unfolded it. It said only one word.

_Thanks._

Apparently, she felt that she owed him for the whole pond incident.

Well, he did need a new one to wear. He slipped it on over his head and around his neck. He looked up to see her smiling at him, pleased that he seemed to like his gift.

He once again had to fight back a blush as he walked forward and grabbed her hand.

"Come on. It's almost time for dinner."

She followed him without a complaint this time, leaving Matt to wonder at what point they started to get along.


	23. Chapter 22

**TaaDaah! I have the next update! I have been on a roll lately! I didn't think that I would be able to update so much so often. Maybe it's because my mind is getting ahead of myself when I think of the end. Don't worry, it's not coming up yet, but I keep getting ahead of myself about what happens later in the story when I need to think about where I'm at now.**

**Well, anyway, you want to read the latest chapter, so here ya go!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own my OC, June.**

Chapter 22

Over a year had passed and Mello and June were, slowly but surely, warming up to each other. They still fought with each other, but it didn't have the same "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!" vibe that it had before. No, it was more of a friendly kind of fight, if there was such a thing.

They tolerated each other more and, from Matt's perspective, they seemed to be friends now. In fact, when Mello and he went to go prank Near, she joined in on it.

"_What are you two doing?"_

_Mello and Matt froze as they were caught in the act. Well, they were just carrying green hair dye, but still, anybody who knew them knew they were up to something._

_At first, Mello just said, "None of your business!"_

_But, after a look June directed at them, he caved. The strange thing was that he never caved before when someone asked him what he was up to._

"_We're going to put hair dye in Near's shampoo."_

_June stared at the two for a minute, and then spoke up._

"_That has got to be the stupidest, immature prank I've heard of. Not to mention obvious."_

_Mello looked like he was about to start another yelling match with her until she said what he least expected._

"_I'm in."_

_That caught him off guard._

"_What?"_

_She smiled._

"_Yeah. That sounds like fun. I've been trying to think of a way to actually get him to show emotion. Even pissed off will do. Plus, I've never done this prank before."_

_With that, she walked up to them, grabbed the hair dye, and grabbed Mello's arm._

"_Well, come on! This was your idea."_

_Mello, still surprised, let her drag him for a few feet before he straightened up and started walking with her._

They got into trouble with Roger for that one. Their prank didn't even work. Near noticed that his shampoo was tampered with before using it.

June had complained that he was no fun to prank because he saw through everything. Roger also noticed that she and Mello had green hands (the dye spilled a bit when they added it), which was why they got into trouble. June suggested that next time they should use gloves.

Matt got in trouble only because whenever Mello went and did something, Matt was involved. The only difference this time was that June was added in.

Of course, since they were grounded to their rooms for the rest of the day, they weren't able to hang out with each other. At least, as far as Roger knew, they weren't able to hang out with each other.

The lesson: never underestimate someone who knew her way around the ventilation system.

Yes, she snuck into their room through the vent when she got bored by herself.

They spent that day playing video games and laughing at how much they screwed up a simple prank. Well, June was laughing about it at first, but, eventually, she got Mello to laugh about it as well. She said that he needed to loosen up.

Anyway, it was early June. They got the next two weeks off from classes. There was just one thing missing: June.

Matt and Mello had slept in since they didn't have any classes. They figured that June was doing the same and didn't go to bother her. But, it was way past lunchtime and they still had yet to see her.

They first checked her room. She wasn't there.

They checked the playroom. She wasn't there.

They checked all over the grounds. She wasn't there.

They checked the art room. Linda was there, but June wasn't.

Mello was starting to get annoyed. Where was she?

They decided to ask Linda.

"Hey Linda, do you know where June is? We can't find her anywhere."

Linda looked up from the painting she was working on to face the boys.

"She left early this morning."

Mello blinked.

"Huh?"

"Her brother came by early this morning. Apparently he finished a case or something. He decided to pick her up to spend time with her. At least, that was what one of the caretakers told me. Nobody saw her leave except for Roger."

It took a minute for the boys to completely process what happened. June's brother was here? And he took her with him? That never happened before.

"Will she be coming back?"

Linda was surprised that it was Mello who was asking, but answered all the same.

"I think so, but I don't know when."

"Thanks Linda." It was Matt who said that because Mello left after Linda answered his question.

Great, June was gone. Now what was he suppose to do? He shook his head.

Wait, what was he thinking? He still had Matt to hang out with. And he could still study over the break so that, when classes start, he could hopefully get the jump on Near.

Matt caught up to Mello. For some reason, he seemed a bit down.

"Don't worry. I'm sure she'll be back in no time."

Mello glanced over at Matt and scoffed.

"Whatever."

Matt huffed as Mello went to the direction of the library. Great, the one time the source of over half of his fights wasn't there, and he decided to go on his man-period. And he was only 12.

Nevertheless, he went back to their room to play video games. He was sure that June would come back soon enough. There was no need to worry. After all, that murderer still hadn't been caught yet, right?

She still had to worry about that person trying to kidnap her. Wait, if that was the case, why did her brother come to take her out?

That didn't make sense to him. He tried to think back. The news report from the American channel didn't say anything about the killer, so he assumed that he hadn't been caught. The only person caught was that one serial killer who pinned dolls on the walls of the room where he killed his victims. Then he went and tried to burn himself to death. He honestly didn't get why the killer would do that. Eh, some people were just weird and sometimes psycho. That was back before June's last birthday.

Oh well, that case was closed. June's case wasn't. Maybe her brother was taking precautions? Eh, he would just have to ask her when she came back.

…..

Two days passed and June still didn't come back. Matt wondered what she and her brother did on vacation if they went on one. Or maybe he wanted her to check out a case with him? Didn't she say once that her brother hoped that she would be a detective?

Just more questions he would ask her when she came back.

Mello was back in their room alone, studying again. For some reason, he kept expecting to see her asleep on his bed whenever he turned around, or to suddenly bang the door open and charge on in as if she owned the place.

He had no idea how used he was to June's presence. The lack of it bothered him for some reason.

Wait, what was he doing? He had the time to get ahead of Near now! He shouldn't waste time thinking about someone who wasn't there. He went back to work.

…..

The first week of their break was now over. June still wasn't back. Matt had no idea just how much the girl had grown onto the both of them. He missed having someone to hang out with when Mello was studying, and he could tell that Mello missed her at least a little. He probably wouldn't admit it, though.

In Matt's opinion, it was too quiet. He didn't think that he would want June to suddenly come in and start a fight with Mello. Things were boring now.

He sighed. Did her brother intend to keep her throughout the whole break? He didn't think that he could stand another week of Mello's surly mood.

The next morning, they woke up and slowly got ready for the day. More than likely, the day would consist of Mello studying and Matt playing video games all day. That probably would have happened if this didn't happen.

Someone banged the door opened and aimed a gun at Matt.

_Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!_

Matt jumped out of his bed and landed in a heap on the floor.

Then it was Mello's turn.

_Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!_

Mello also jumped out of bed and landed on the floor.

With the both of them wide awake, they looked to see June standing at the door, laughing her ass off, and holding a Nerf gun that was half the size of her body.

They looked around to see that there were darts all over the floor.

Then Mello started yelling.

"June! What the hell?"

She eventually calmed down enough to start talking.

"What? I get back and the first thing you say isn't a hello? Did you think that you could get rid of me that easily? Well, think again!"

She fired off a couple of more darts at them, and then she ran off laughing, expecting them to start chasing her soon.

Mello and Matt jumped up and chased after her. They found her outside with two more Nerf guns propped up against a tree as well as a bag of darts.

"What's this about?"

She turned and smiled.

"Well, my brother gave me some Nerf guns so that we could have some fun during the last week of break."

Matt blinked.

"Okay, but why did he give you more than one?"

She rolled her eyes.

"The other two are for you guys. It wouldn't be any fun if only one of us had a gun."

Mello went over and grabbed a gun, finding it loaded already.

"That's a good point."

With that, he started firing at her. She screamed and ran off. She then turned around and started firing back.

Throughout the whole day, they stayed outside and fired darts at each other.

However, the fun came to an end when June ran off to the side and kept firing darts at Mello, not paying attention to where she was going.

All that Mello knew was that, one moment, he was chasing after June with a gun, and the next, she suddenly went down. He stopped and saw that she had tripped over a rock. He didn't think anything of it until he saw that she was holding her ankle.

"Are you okay?"

She looked up.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

The part of the ankle where there was the lump that was bone on the side of the ankle, that was what hit the rock. She didn't think anything of it except for a slight pain until she found that her legs wouldn't respond. Was she in shock?

"Are you sure?"

Since when did Mello care what happened to her? Was it since the pond incident? But he thought that was his fault, which was why he cared then, right?

Either way, this was her problem. She should handle it herself.

"Yeah."

She attempted at getting up only to find that her legs were extremely wobbly. She didn't think that a fall like that would send her nerves into shock. Did she hit a nerve?

She ended falling down when she couldn't stay up.

Mello frowned.

"No, you're not. You can't even stand up. Did you twist your ankle or something?"

"I'm pretty sure it's nothing that I can't walk off."

She sat there, wondering what to do. Should she wait until the shock wore off and then try to get up again?

Before she could consider any more options, Mello suddenly grabbed her arm and put it around his shoulders. He fought against a blush at their close proximity (why was he blushing?) and pulled June to her feet. Her legs had stopped wobbling, but she could feel a slight pain where her ankle hit the rock. She could tell she was in for a crappy time.

Mello dragged her in the direction of the infirmary with Matt trailing behind, the Nerf guns forgotten.

Once they got there and a nurse took a look, it turned out that she did, indeed, twisted her ankle. The nurse said that she could rest for now, but she would eventually need to walk it off.

After that, Mello and Matt were asked to help her around for a while because her ankle will hurt for some time.

"I told you it wasn't anything I couldn't walk off."

"Yeah, but you're still limping. And I can tell that it's hurting like a bitch by the way you've been flinching when you put pressure on it. So stop resisting and let us help you. That will make things easier if you stop being so damn stubborn."

"Like you're not stubborn."

"Shut up! And this isn't about me, so shut it and just let us help."

Matt was somewhat surprised. This was the first time Mello was offering anyone besides him help. Of course, he was still having an argument with June. But he still had some good intentions since he was right beside her in case she fell over or something.

Matt didn't think that Mello would actually act like this towards someone. He was always concerned about himself, so this was a bit of a shock.

They eventually made it to June's room, where she sat on her bed. Her ankle was really throbbing now.

"Hey Matt." He looked over at June.

"Can you go get some ice or something?"

He nodded and left.

This irked Mello for some reason. She would ask Matt for help but not him? Well, she was friends with Matt longer than she was with him.

He sighed. He should keep an eye on her to make sure she didn't do anything reckless.

But what should he do? All of his study material was back in his room.

He looked over at the boom box. She was always listening to music. Would she want the thing on?

"Hey Mello."

He looked towards her.

"Can you turn on my boom box? The CD I want to listen to is already in there."

He nodded and turned it on.

After listening to half of the first song, he asked June a question.

"What band is this?" He didn't know what her taste in music was, but he wasn't sure if he was expecting this.

"Evanescence. They rock. Oh, can you turn the volume up? I love this song."

He turned it up as the next song started.

_How can you see into my eyes_

_like open doors?_

_Leading you down into my core_

_Where I've become so numb._

"What song is this?"

It sounded familiar. Maybe it was on the radio?

"Bring Me To Life. Now shush."

That irked Mello, but he stayed quiet all the same.

He listened to the song a bit more. He would admit that he never thought anything of music, but he kind of liked the song.

Once the song was over, Matt walked in with the ice.

He handed it to June and heard the next song that was playing.

_Have you no shame_

_Don't you see me_

_You know you got_

_Everybody fooled._

"What band is this?"

"Evanescence."

Matt hummed, and then went back to his video game.

The rest of that day was spent in June's room, with her and Mello listening to Evanescence and Matt playing his games.


	24. Chapter 23

**Hi! I'm trying not to rush the Wammy years too much, but I'm also trying to get back to the Kira case where most of the action takes place. I hope that I'm not skipping around too much, but I really need to get back to the Kira case. **

**I don't know how many more chapters I will spend on the Wammy years, but I think that there will be two or three more chapters. That is just a guess. I need to get to the point where June starts to emotionally break down soon. I would elaborate more on the years, but my mind has been getting ahead of me and I have had nothing but ideas of how I'm going to play out the Kira case and not so many about how to continue the Wammy years. You all know that I would get to the point where things get rocky anyway. It's not in this chapter, but soon.**

**Wow, I've rambled quite a bit there. I figured you should know in case you guys were getting anxious about when I will return to the Kira case. It is soon. I just want to get through the Wammy years in one go so I would only have to refer to an occasional flashback and not just break away from the Kira case at random points to return to the past for an entire chapter.**

**Eventually, I will go back…..TO THE FUTURE! XD **

**Sorry, I couldn't resist there. I just love that movie.**

**This has got to be the longest AN I have ever written. Huh. Oh, well. Now it's time to go back….TO THE STORY!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, Back To The Future, or Evanescence. I do own my OC, June.**

**Review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review….taking the hint yet?**

Chapter 23

"DAMN IT!" Once again, Mello landed in second place. He was getting tired of it. No matter how hard he tried, all he ever got was second place. He hated it. He wanted to be better than Near. He wanted to be better than L.

June and Matt was with him in his room as he started ranting about Near…..again.

Matt was used to this, but June always got annoyed whenever Mello got like this. All he ever obsessed over was Near and L. All he ever seemed to do was study.

Mello was at his desk slouched over. Was he even aware that his friends were in the room with him? June didn't think so. One thing she picked up about him was that he was self-absorbed.

How much did he know about her? Did he even know much about Matt, since he had been friends with him longer? June didn't know, but she was having her doubts.

She wished that Mello would stop obsessing over all of this. He was smart, had good friends, why did he want more?

June never even really trusted anyone beyond her brother before she came to Wammy's.

She was glad that her brother had let her stay here even though her would-be kidnapper had already been caught. She was glad to have some friends.

Why wouldn't Mello see things that way?

Matt looked up from his video game to see that Mello was still going to be fuming for a while. Too bad that June looked like that she couldn't take any more of it.

Matt didn't know what she was thinking, but if things continued, there was going to be another fight.

"Hey June, want to play a game?"

She looked over at Matt. She removed one of her earphones of her new iPod that her brother got her for her 12th birthday last week. Matt had gotten her an Evanescence CD that he didn't think she had (turned out he was right). That was the first CD that she put on iTunes. He still couldn't believe that a CD that stores didn't sell anymore could cost so much. He was saving for a new game, but he decided that he could wait a bit more and do some more chores. Despite her mischievous and sometimes violent personality, she really was a good friend. He figured that she deserved it. At least he knew what to get her, unlike Mello.

For the past couple of years, he had gotten her candy. She did have a sweet tooth. Sometimes Matt thought that she could rival Mello with it. But after so many years of friendship, you would think that someone would put more thought into a gift.

But, that was Mello for ya.

Anyway, he was getting sidetracked.

June didn't look like she was in the mood. She had witnessed Mello's temper on several occasions (sometimes she would call him out on it by saying he was PMSing), but she was normally able to tolerate it to the end. But it looked like that, after going through the same routine so many times, she finally had enough.

Mello cursed again and muttered something about Near. That was it. She had enough.

She got up and walked into their bathroom. At first, Matt thought she just had to go and went back to his game.

However, neither boy expected what she would do next.

Mello was too busy fuming and Matt was too busy playing his game to notice when she came out.

They didn't notice anything until Mello felt cold water being dumped on him.

There was a moment of shock silence. Mello froze at his desk as he processed what happened. Matt was too busy looking between June, who was holding a now empty water bucket and Mello to notice Link getting killed by the fire boss.

Finally, Mello turned around to look at June's annoyed face. He was scowling.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?"

"You needed to cool off. You get too worked up about this stuff."

Mello was getting pissed off all over again. She always said that he worked too hard and cared too much. But he obviously didn't work hard enough because he was still in second. Why didn't she get that?

"I do not get too worked up about it!"

She sighed.

"Yes, you do. And you're always trying to do everything alone. Were you even aware that we were even in here when you started your pointless ranting again?"

Mello just glared at her. Of course he knew they were there…..didn't he? Yes, he did, because he could hear the TV from Matt's game.

"You know…...if you want help, you could just ask one of us."

He gritted his teeth. He was furious enough as it was losing to Near again. But he couldn't put up with June now. He couldn't even think straight because he was so pissed.

"I don't need your help! I don't need anyone's help! In fact, I don't _need_ _you_ at all! So why don't you just go away and _leave me alone_!"

There was another moment of shocked silence. When June's mind finally processed what it was he said, she hit Mello upside his head with the bucket.

After that, she dropped the bucket and stormed out.

Matt…was a bit scared. He had never seen June get so mad before. It wasn't the first time she and Mello had a fight, but it was the first time she just didn't yell back and continue the fight.

In fact, Matt couldn't really tell because she got out pretty fast, but she seemed a bit…..hurt? He didn't know. That look was foreign on her face. That was for sure.

Mello was still a bit shocked by the fact that she actually ran from a fight. And the fact that she used a bucket. It wasn't the first time she had hit him with something, but she'd normally stuck with smacking him upside the head with a book. One time, she actually gave him a bit of a concussion when she hit him with one of the Harry Potter books. He was pretty sure it was either the fifth or the sixth book. He didn't pay too much attention to it other than the fact it was a _hardback_ book. And damn, she could hit him pretty hard without a weapon in the first place. The book definitely made it worse.

He shrugged and turned back to his desk. Her running off without a word was a first, but she would eventually get over it and come back to hanging out with them. She always did before.

Then he felt something wet against the side of his face. He reached his hand up to feel that she had drawn some blood with that hit.

"Shit…."

"…..You know, I think you actually hurt her there."

Mello glared at Matt.

"What do you mean? _She_ was the one who hit _me_ with a _bucket_."

Matt sighed.

"I mean that that was the first time she actually left a fight without a word. And…I don't know…..I think she looked a bit hurt about what you said."

Mello scoffed and stood up to get some bandages to wrap around his head.

"Like she cares what I say about her. She never cared before."

"Well, you guys weren't really friends before. But now you are, and I think that she might care a little."

"Yeah right."

…..

It was dinner and neither boy saw any sign of the girl. Then again, it wouldn't be too surprising since the girl barely eats anything throughout the day.

Mello wasn't concern. He knew that she would be out and about soon. Matt wasn't so sure. And he was sure that Mello was just being a jackass. He could at least say that he didn't mean any of it. Then again, he wasn't sure if that would be true.

Matt went to go check on her, but she wouldn't answer the door and the door was locked. That was next warning sign that something was wrong. She _never_ locked her door before.

He was worried now. But Mello shrugged it off when he was told. He thought that she was just being immature now.

…..

The next day was a Saturday, so there were no classes, but June still didn't come out. Matt was worried because it was past lunch now and, as far as he knew, she didn't eat since lunch yesterday. It wasn't healthy to eat so little, even if you claimed to not be hungry.

Mello was getting annoyed. Just how stubborn was she going to be this time? She was making Matt worried. Mello wasn't worried because she was tougher than Matt thought. As if a couple of words could have that much effect on her.

He would learn eventually that words affect her more than she would ever admit to anyone.

Mello was walking back to his and Matt's room when he noticed Matt knocking on June's door again. It was his fifth try that day and she still didn't respond. This was getting tiring. He knew that June was more stubborn than Matt would ever be, but just how long was he planning on trying to get her out?

There was no need to be worried. She was just listening to her music as always. He could hear her boom box from where he stood.

"Matt, I'm telling you that she's fine. She's just being childish and stubborn like always."

"Like you're not stubborn?"

Mello frowned.

"This isn't about me. I'm pretty sure that she just wants to be alone."

Matt frowned at him now.

"But don't you remember? She hates being alone."

Mello frowned. Damn. He forgot that L had said that about her.

He sighed.

"If I get her to come out, will you stop worrying so damn much?"

Matt nodded.

"It would help, but she won't answer the door. You're going to need some other plan."

Mello frowned. How was he going to get her to come out?

He decided to try the door anyway. It actually was locked.

He slammed his fist against the door.

"June! Quit being so damn stubborn and come out! You have to eat eventually!"

No answer. He was getting angry now.

"June! Get out here now!"

Still no answer. Why did she have to make things difficult?

He wasn't sure if he liked the silent treatment. She was more predictable (somewhat) when she was violent and yelling.

Mello started to think of ways to get in. That was when he was struck by an idea. It was probably reckless, but he needed to talk some sense into the girl. For Matt's sake, not because he was worried.

He walked back to his room. He went over to the vent that June would sneak in through when she wasn't allowed to visit them.

He briefly wondered why she went through so much trouble to do that. Did she really hate being alone that much?

He pushed the thought aside and climbed up on his bed and opened the vent that was over it. He crawled in and was making his way to June's room. It wasn't hard. He just had to follow the music.

He stopped just outside the opening. He saw that he was above one end of June's bed and June was on the other end.

She was curled up and looking angry about something. Mello couldn't recall if she had held a grudge over something he said for so long. She had normally beat him up a bit and then considered them even.

He recognized the song that started playing as one on the CD Matt gave her last week.

_You're too important for anyone_

_You play the role of all you long to be_

_But I, I know who you really are_

_You're the one who cries when you're alone_

_But where will you go_

_With no one left to save you from yourself?_

_You can't escape_

_You can't escape_

Mello still didn't understand why she liked listening to music so much. Maybe it helped her think? What he and June didn't know was that the song would probably hold more meaning in the future.

_You think that I can't see right through your eyes_

_Scared to death to face reality_

_No one seems to hear your hidden cries_

_You're left to face yourself alone_

_But where will you go_

_With no one left to save you from yourself?_

_You can't escape the truth_

_I realize you're afraid_

_But you can't abandon everyone_

_You can't escape_

_You don't want to escape_

June was still fuming. How dare he? He didn't think he needed anyone. Please, no one ever got anywhere by themselves. Even L got help from the outside on his cases. In reality, he didn't solve everything by himself.

_I'm so sick of speaking words that no one understands_

_Is it clear enough that you can't live your whole life all alone?_

_I can hear you in a whisper _

_But you can't even hear me screaming_

What she didn't get was why she felt so pissed about what he said. She knew that he was sometimes an idiot, but something about him saying he didn't need her had set something off. She didn't know what it was. She just knew that she didn't want to see Mello, let alone talk to him.

The only person who tried to get her out was Matt. Yeah, Mello made a small attempt, but she had a feeling that Matt put him up to it. Matt was the only one who cared about her.

_Where will you go_

_With no one left to save you from yourself?_

_You can't escape the truth_

_I realize you're afraid_

_But you can't reject the whole world_

_You can't escape_

_You won't escape_

_You can't escape_

_You don't want to escape_

She didn't think Mello cared much about the people around him. It was just that he…

Argh! She couldn't think straight. Why was she so mad? She never cared about what the blonde said about her before, didn't she?

It was at that moment that she heard something that wasn't part of the song, and then she felt her bed shift.

She looked over to see Mello and the open vent. She blinked. He actually crawled through the vent? She thought she was the only one who did that.

Then she remembered that she was mad at him and turned her head away. She still wasn't going to talk to him.

Mello frowned. She was still going to be stubborn?

He sat down right next to her and stared at her. She still refused to look his way.

He was getting really mad now.

He grabbed her by the shoulder and shook her.

She looked his way, still looking angry.

"June! How long are you going to keep this up? You are making Matt worried! You have gone almost the whole day without eating something. Will you stop being so damn stubborn and just say what your problem is?"

She had to be the most frustrating person he knew, other than Near.

She glared at him.

"Why do you care? It's not like you really cared before."

For some reason, that made him even more pissed. He grabbed her shoulder as she tried to look away again to make her look at him fully.

"If I didn't care, would I have crawled through the fucking vents to try to talk some sense into you?"


	25. Chapter 24

**Wow! I'm just on a roll with this story! I eventually have to get back to my other stories, but I've been in more of a mood to work on the Death Note story than my other stories. So you guys get to be spoiled for now!**

**Well, anyway, I don't think you want me to go on another rant, and I don't have anything to rant about that's not related to this story, so I'll just cut to the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note for the 25****th**** time already! Nor do I own the awesome Maximum Ride series! I do own my OC, June, so no stealing her!**

Chapter 24

June blinked. Did he say what she thought he said?

Mello, upon realizing exactly what he said, blushed for some unknown reason. He looked away, hoping that June didn't see the blush. Unfortunately for him, she did. Fortunately for him, she didn't bring it up.

But that was what shocked her the most. _Mello_ was _blushing_? Did hell just freeze over for some odd reason?

That was when Mello started speaking again.

"I mean….not that I care…..I know you're not that big of a baby to…..you were making Matt worried for nothing…."

She was still registering the fact that he was blushing, now he was _mumbling_?

Who was this and what did he do to Mello?

When Mello thought that the blush was gone, he turned his head to face her. He still didn't get why he acted like that.

"Are you going to say what the hell your problem is, or are you just going to sit here and sulk some more like a little baby? I will tell you that I can't take Matt worrying over you anymore, so you better say it's the first one."

She stared at him some more, noting that he sounded more confident now.

She still didn't know why he blushed before, but it looked like he was himself again.

"What I couldn't stand was the fact that you were enough of a dumbass to believe that you could pull of everything by yourself. I'll be the first to tell you that that isn't really possible."

Mello blinked, unsure of where she was going with this, but still irked at being called a dumbass. But he didn't interrupt. He just listened.

"There is no such thing as the 'lone spy'. You can't really get too far anywhere without some help. Even my brother gets outside help from the local authorities whenever he works on a case. It just irked me that you said that you didn't need any help from anybody."

So his words actually did strike a nerve with his comment. She thought that he was being stupid (that much was apparent from the "dumbass" comment) when he said that he didn't need anybody. But why didn't she just tell him before? She would normally just go off on how stupid she thought he was being and beat him up when he disagreed. So why did she just storm off instead?

He decided not to think much of it, especially after what she said next.

"Well, if you're done with being a PMSing man-bitch this time around, I believe that Matt's waiting for us."

"Why you little – "

Just before he could finish the thought, let alone the sentence, June took off and opened the door, surprising Matt on the other side. Mello followed her and was hot on her heels, determined to make her take back the "PMSing man-bitch" comment.

….

It was springtime once more. The temperature was at a bearable level and it wasn't raining, so June decided to go read her book outside, since Matt and Mello were busy with their own things and who knew when the weather would be so nice again.

She picked a spot up against an old oak tree, sat down on a blanket she brought since the ground was still wet from the rain, started playing one of her Green Day albums, and opened her book.

About an hour later, Mello noticed that June wasn't anywhere inside. He looked out the window to see that it was a nice day, so she was probably outside while the weather lasted. She hated being coped up inside for too long and it had been raining for the past few days.

He walked outside and looked around to see that June was reading a book under one of the trees. He also noticed that he wasn't the only one looking for her.

The one that was heading her way right now was a boy that came in a few months ago. He was about eleven years old and was ranked sixth the last time around. Mello forgot the kid's name, he just remembered that he didn't like June, the one ranked immediately above him.

Mello didn't know what pissed the kid off more, the fact that he was in sixth instead of first and ready to take L's title, or the fact that he was ranked below a girl. Either way, the boy, being too afraid to mess with Mello because of how intimidating he was, or Matt because it was common knowledge that he was Mello's best friend, he went after June, the only girl in the top five.

It wasn't the first time he spoke out against June, and both June and Mello agreed (which was rare in itself) that the kid was a wimp which was why he targeted her. Girls were supposed to be weaker and shit like that. Well, June had fun showing Mello how wrong he was when he assumed that, so he figured that she would make short work of him.

June, in the meantime, was in the middle of one of the fight scenes in _Maximum Ride_, so she didn't notice him until he was looking down at her.

She looked up, since he was blocking her light, and stared at him.

"Can I help you?"

Mello, not being too far away and hiding behind another tree, was able to hear the conversation. He was mildly surprised that she taking a polite approach. Maybe she didn't think he was worth the time to fight with?

The boy glared down at her with his hazel eyes.

"Why do you not talk to anyone?"

She blinked as she got up, since there was probably no point in trying to continue to read. This kid was a persistent one and hounded her everywhere.

"I actually do talk to some people, just not a lot of people."

That was true. She did talk to Matt, Mello, Linda, and occasionally Near.

The kid shook his head.

"You only talk to four people, and three of them are ranked above you! What, do you kiss up to them or something?"

She frowned.

"First of all, I don't kiss up to anyone. It's a complete waste of time and effort. Second of all, I talk to them because I want to. I don't really give a damn about rank."

That was also true. Mello remembered her telling him that during their first encounter.

She also thought that kissing up was a waste of time.

"Then why don't you talk to anyone else. Admit it! You look down on everyone ranked below you!"

She gave him a flat stare.

"I believe I just said that I didn't give a damn about rank. I don't really talk to too many people because I don't know them that well."

The kid was trying to burn a hole through her head now as she gathered up her blanket.

"Well, rumor has it that you have family, so why are you here in the first place?"

She gave him another flat stare, trying to mask how annoyed this kid was making her.

"I have a brother, but he isn't able to take care of me right now, and it was agreed that I should stay here until further notice."

L was working on the Kira case. He didn't want her anywhere near this one.

"Yeah right! I bet he just didn't want you and just sent you here so that he wouldn't have to bother with you! He doesn't care about you. No one does! So why don't you do everyone a favor and disappear!"

Once again, the kid had resorted to being a jackass. It wasn't the first time he tried bashing her self-esteem and whatnot. She was annoyed that he kept trying this, but she wasn't affected by it. She knew with 100% certainty that those words were false.

Mello, on the other hand, was getting more pissed off by the kid. He knew what he was trying to do. Those words tended to hold a lot of weight and were even to make some kids break down crying. He was trying to get June to waver in her confidence. He was trying to break her in the hopes that she wouldn't be able to hold onto her rank. It was a low blow.

June didn't seemed to be affected, but he also remembered that she wouldn't let herself show such weakness. Who knew how much she was actually being affected?

The kid was smirking, thinking that he had her, when she yawned.

"If that's all you have to say, then I have to tell you that you just wasted your breath on pointless words. Now if you'll excuse, I'll be going now."

The kid was pissed. He was hoping that she would have at least flinched, that she would have shown some sign that she was somewhat affected. This girl was one of the most frustrating ones he ever ran into.

Mello was surprised that she didn't make a move to beat him into a pulp. He knew that the kid had been warned about her temper, but maybe she thought if she did that, it would show that she was affected by his words? Or maybe she thought he was annoying and not worth the time to beat up? Mello didn't know.

He was also surprised by the way she worded her sentences. She was normally more…aggressive. Threatening. Something that held the message "I WILL KILL YOU!" in it.

But no, instead, she used a flat tone that didn't really betray any emotions. When was she capable of that? And now she was walking off back towards the entrance of Wammy's. She figured that she would be able to read her book back in Matt and Mello's room where the kid wouldn't dare go.

However, when Mello looked over at the frustrated boy, he saw that the kid had found a branch lying around and was starting to charge at June with it.

Mello reacted before he gave the scene much thought.

June turned around when she heard someone running up to her. She saw that the kid decided to resort to violence and was charging towards her with a fallen branch.

Before she could react and get into a defensive stance, a hand reached out and grabbed the kid's arm.

The kid turned his head to see a very pissed off Mello attached to the hand that held a vice-like grip on his arm.

June's eyes widened a bit in surprise. Since when did Mello get here?

Mello was giving the kid a death glare as he tried to free himself.

Mello grabbed his wrist and twisted it until the branch fell to the ground. The kid yelped in pain.

"I think you broke my wrist!" The kid glared at him, trying to hold back the tears from the pain.

Mello spoke to him in a dark tone.

"You better hope that that will be the worst injury you get from me. Frankly, I'm getting sick about your tactics to try to outrank June over there. As far as I'm concerned, you won't be getting anywhere near her rank anytime soon no matter what you do. So stop with the low blows and get the hell out of my sight."

The kid ran for it, clearly afraid of Mello.

June had heard the whole threat. Did Mello just come to her defense?

She looked down as she felt heat come to her cheeks. She didn't know why that was happening. She also didn't know why he did that. She would've been fine on her own.

"You didn't need to do that. I would have been fine on my own."

Mello looked over at June to see her looking down at the ground. It looked like her pride just took a hit there.

Mello shrugged.

"Eh, he's been getting on my nerves for a while now. It was about time that someone taught him a lesson. I'm just surprised that you weren't the one threatening him with an ass-kicking."

She shrugged and looked up when she thought the blush was gone. At least she hoped it was gone. It would be mortifying if Mello saw a blush on her face.

"I didn't think an arrogant idiot like him was worth the effort. It would have only encouraged him. He would just keep claiming it as a fluke like you did."

Mello blushed slightly at the memory.

"Well, whatever, let's just get going already."

With that, he grabbed her wrist and started leading her back inside.

…..

June was growling at the Rubix cube in her hand. She had been trying to solve this for who knew how long, and it still remained unsolved. This thing was frustrating.

"…..You know that you lost the race ten minutes ago, right?"

She growled.

"Yes, but I refuse to give up on this."

Yes, she challenged Near to another puzzle race. Unfortunately for her, she picked the Rubix cube. She didn't think that it would be so difficult to solve. She thought that this would be easier than a game of chess (strategy wasn't really her thing and she tried to wing it throughout the whole game). But, she was proven wrong. She would get close, but then somehow, she had to backtrack and then she would lose track of how she got close to solving it.

But she refused to give up the challenge. She wasn't ready to admit defeat yet. She might have lost the race for real (she also lost the chess game for real) but she was determined to finish this puzzle!

That was her mindset until she felt someone grab her arm and drag her away, making her abandon the unsolved Rubix cube.

"Hey, I'm not done yet!"

She turned her head to see that Mello was dragging her away.

"Hey Mello! What was that for? I almost had it!"

Mello didn't answer and just continued to drag her out of the playroom.

Matt followed them closely behind. He saw pretty much what happened.

June challenged Near to a game and lost, but she refused to give up on the puzzle. After about ten minutes, he noticed that Mello seemed to be glaring towards Near and June. He couldn't be sure, but it looked like Mello was starting to get jealous about June hanging out with Near.

He didn't dare bring it up because he knew that Mello would punch him in the gut for suggesting such a thing.

Actually, now that he thought about it, Mello seemed to be getting more protective and possessive of her. He heard how Mello had snapped that kid's wrist and he knew that that kid had been targeting June for months. He also saw that when the kid made another attempt at bringing June down, Mello gave him broken nose.

Mello got in trouble for that, but he didn't seem to argue about being punished for it.

And Matt definitely saw June blush when Mello came to her defense.

Before, Mello wouldn't even think of doing such a thing for June. But now, maybe, just _maybe_, he was developing a crush on her.

Matt couldn't say, but Mello was definitely treating June a bit differently now.

Meanwhile, June was struggling in Mello's grip.

"I said let go!"

Mello had finally let go of her when they were alone, save for Matt, in a hallway.

Then, out of nowhere, he asked something that neither Matt nor June expected him ever say.

"Will you help me?"


	26. Chapter 25

**Why hello there! I've decided to do a crazy thing: updating TWO stories at the same time. Yes, I know I'm crazy.**

**Well, anyway, here's the update. I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own my OC, June.**

Chapter 25

Mello was only asking because she would get pissed whenever he tried doing everything by himself and because of what Near said.

_I wouldn't sell June short. I believe that she is more capable than she lets others believe. In fact, I don't even think that her current rank is where she really stands here. I have a feeling if she wanted to inherit L's title, she would have risen in rank by now._

Mello didn't understand why she would purposely score lower than them, but he was going to find out if Near was actually on the right path about her.

June stood there, shocked. Then she turned her head around to make sure he was talking to her and not someone behind her. Then she turned to face him again.

"I'm sorry. Could you repeat that for me? I'm not sure if I heard you right."

Mello frowned.

"I'm asking if you will help me."

She blinked. She was still in shock.

"Okay, just a few questions."

Mello almost groaned. This couldn't be good.

"One: who are you and what have you done with Mello?"

"I _am_ Mello."

"Prove it."

"I eat chocolate all the time, you call me a dumbass, your birthday is October 16th, and I pulled you out of a frozen pond one winter."

That last one was an isolated incident, so this was, in fact, Mello.

"Okay. Next question: did you hit your head recently."

"No."

"Are you suffering from a chocolate withdrawal?"

He pulled out a chocolate bar.

"No."

"Are you sure that you have been eating chocolate and that there is nothing wrong with the chocolate you have been eating?"

He ripped the foil off the bar and took a bite.

"Yes."

She brought her hand to her chin as she thought about her next question.

"Okay. Last question: did hell just freeze over?"

Mello growled.

"I'm being serious here."

"Oh my God, then it's the beginning of the apocalypse! Quick Matt! Run for your life!"

Just as she was about to take of running, Mello grabbed her by her ponytail. That wasn't too hard to do, since she grew her hair out so that it went down to her waist. Her bangs still framed her face. However, it was apparent that the girl was not in the habit of using a hairbrush. Her hair was basically a mess pulled back into a messy ponytail.

When asked why she didn't brush her hair, she said it was a habit she picked up from her brother.

Her head snapped back as she felt someone grab her ponytail as she tried to run.

"Ow!"

She hated it when someone did that.

She turned around, slightly pissed about her hair being pulled on.

Matt, however, couldn't help but laugh at the last comment. Mello turned his glare to him and he'd shut up after a minute.

"I'm serious, June. I would like you to help me during my study sessions."

Studying? She hated studying and he knew it. Plus, he always preferred to study alone.

"Why are you asking me now? You had no problem with studying by yourself before."

She just never made things easy, did she?

"Well, I figured a second opinion on some questions and problems are needed. In case I'm not seeing something that I could see from a different perspective."

She was impressed. He actually got around to figuring that much out. L did the same thing. He would sometimes ask for someone's take on a case. Sometimes, he asked her when he would let her join in on a case. Mainly it was just to watch, but she liked being involved in a case with him.

She smirked.

"It took you this long to figure that much out, dumbass. I thought you would never get to that point."

Mello was about to scream at her again. But his words died in his throat as she spoke up again.

"But, I guess I'll help, since you asked."

Huh? Since when was she compliant? He expected her to be a smartass for the next few minutes.

He didn't move as she walked passed him in the direction of his room.

That was until she grabbed his wrist.

"Well, come on. You're the one who asked for my help, but don't expect me to drag you everywhere."

With that, he followed behind her, leaving a confused Matt to trail behind.

….

L stared at the screen on his computer. It was 1a.m. and no one from the Taskforce was there.

He watched on the monitor as June left Matt and Mello's room through the vent to get back to her own room without being caught out past curfew.

She seemed to be getting along with Mello better than when they first encountered each other. After the first time he went to check on her, he had Watari tell Roger to set up surveillance cameras throughout the orphanage. The cameras were small and couldn't be easily seen.

He was hoping that they would at least tolerate each other, but, very gradually, they seemed to start liking each other.

June was being nicer to Mello because L told her so, but she didn't seem to be doing it out of obligation anymore.

L also saw how Mello seemed to getting closer to her as well. He was also getting more protective and possessive of her.

He injured the kid that had been harassing her, but he was also starting to drag her away from Near whenever she went to hang out with him.

Despite the fact that L was socially inept himself, he was pretty sure that Mello was forming a crush on June.

In fact, he could definitely say that Mello was starting to develop a crush on June, especially with what he saw when he talked to the children back towards the beginning of the case.

_L watched everyone through the webcam that was on the computer at Wammy's. Most of the children were gathered up front and asking him questions. However, there were three that stayed behind the group, silently taking in his answers. Near was working on a puzzle. Mello was leaning against the wall eating a chocolate bar. Those two, in his opinion, had a nasty look on their faces. They were definitely the top two._

_Then there was June, who was sitting up against the wall, listening to her iPod. She was probably listening, but she would also know the answers to whatever questions the others had for him. She didn't need to ask anything._

_At one point, she reached up and tugged on Mello's sleeve. He looked down at her, annoyed, but had crouched down anyway. It was a surprise he was being so compliant towards her, but it could be because he didn't want to raise a fuss during the conversation._

_When he was sitting next to her, waiting for her to say what she wanted, she snapped off a piece of his chocolate and started eating it. That made him mad, but he didn't yell._

_He probably didn't want to interrupt L, who was answering questions as this was happening._

_Mello's pissed off expression faded a bit when she smiled towards him, which to her was a silent thank you. She wasn't going to say it out loud._

_Mello looked away from her and directed his attention back to L._

_After a few minutes, June got tired. Probably without thinking, she rested her head against Mello's shoulder and started dozing._

_Mello was about to shove her off when he saw the peaceful expression on her face. He blushed and looked away._

_After a while, Mello unconsciously laid his head against June's as he listened. That lasted for about two minutes when Mello looked over and saw Near watching him._

_He blushed again and shoved June off, which resulted in her giving him an annoyed look._

_They sat in silence from then on and listened to L until the conversation was over._

He was a bit surprised about that. With how much those two used to fight, he didn't think that that would happen.

L started to think about what would happen if Kira killed him. What would happen to June? He knew that she said she would work with his successor, but to be honest, he didn't think that the possibility of his death had ever gotten through to her.

She always thought that he could never lose. It was possible that she had never allowed the thought of his death to cross her mind.

Which meant that, if he did die, his death would actually destroy her emotionally, despite what she said. She might seek solitude, even though she hated to be alone. She never wanted anyone to see her cry, even when she was a little girl. She always left the room when she was upset.

How should he prevent that?

Maybe he should let Mello be in charge? Even if he didn't get his title, he wouldn't really protest to looking out for June. After all, he already did that by taking care of the bully.

It was true that he would let his emotions get in the way of his thinking, but, with June as his sister, he couldn't deny that he had an emotional attachment to her as well that could get in the way of his thinking.

Mello's just might be a bit worse.

But, he needed someone who he knew wouldn't want her to go out and get into trouble or do something to get her killed. With how impulsive she was, that was a good possibility.

Even if he was to die in the next few days, Mello would be 15 this year. That should be old enough for him to be able to look after himself and June knew how to take care of herself. She had proven that ability during the attempted kidnapping. They should be able to look after each other.

June would definitely need someone to look after her because he was 95% sure she would go into a kind of depression if he died.

That was settled. Mello would be in charge of June's well-being.

….

It was late July now and June was watching Near over her book as he stacked a bunch of tarot cards into a tower.

Near looked over to her, as if knowing what she was thinking.

"I would appreciate it if you don't knock this over."

"Why?"

"Because if you knock this over, I will be pissed."

"…That only makes me want to knock it over even more."

"Why?"

"Just to see you pissed off for once."

Near kept his eyes on her until she huffed.

"Fine."

Near continued stacking his cards.

"…Why do you wear so much white?"

"Because I want to. Why do you ask?"

"You look like an oversized cotton swap."

"….."

A few minutes later, Mello walked into the room, saw June with Near, and dragged her out with him.

This was becoming more and more frequent. Whenever Mello saw June with him, he would drag her away.

Actually, Mello was acting a bit differently towards her. He was acting a bit nicer towards her. He actually asked for her help once in a while. And not to mention the few times she had caught him blushing. She was starting to develop a theory in her mind about why Mello was acting like this, but she couldn't confirm it and she didn't know how she felt about it.

Mello led her back into his room. Surprisingly, Matt wasn't there. She briefly wondered where he went. Then she shrugged and sat on Mello's bed.

She was also surprised when Mello went and sat down next to her instead of going straight to his desk.

This was strange. Just what was up with him lately?

"Why do you hang out with Near so much?"

He sounded annoyed.

She frowned.

"I don't hang out with him that much. I mostly hang out with you and Matt, remember?"

Mello didn't meet her gaze after that.

Then he tried again.

"Why do you even hang out with that sheep at all? Don't you find him boring?"

"Eh, he's not too boring. And you and Matt are sometimes busy with your own thing. I just hang out with him when I feel like either doing a puzzle or reading a book. I don't mind the sheep at all."

That wasn't helping with his annoyance.

"If you don't mind him at all, then why did you call him a sheep?"

"Well, 1) you sometimes refer to him as that, 2) he wears all that white, and 3) he actually is a sheep."

Mello blinked.

"What?"

She gave him a flat look.

"Yeah, he was born in 1991. Have you never heard of the Chinese Zodiac before? I actually thought it was funny when I realized that, especially since you're always calling him that."

He should have known that she would have acted like a smartass for a moment there.

"Well, don't hang out with him anymore."

Now it was her turn to be annoyed.

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Because I said so, that's why."

As you could imagine, this only pissed her off. She glared at Mello.

"Where do you go off in telling me what to do?"

"I just don't want you to hang out with him."

"And why's that?"

"Because…..because he's such a big-headed twit and…"

She waited for an answer. She wasn't going to let this drop. He looked down into his lap.

Then he mumbled something.

"Because you're _my_ friend…"

He wasn't sure if she heard that, but he was kind of hoping she didn't.

She wasn't sure if he heard him correctly, but as soon as she thought she did, she came to a realization.

And she wasn't sure if she liked it or not.

When he looked back up at her, she thought that she saw what remained of a blush on his face.

Did….did Mello…..have a crush on her?


	27. Chapter 26

**Here I am! I have the next chapter! **

**I wish that I didn't have classes on Columbus Day. You want to know why? It is my birthday today! Since it's my birthday, I decided to give you guys a gift, if that makes any sense. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note; otherwise Light would have been bitch-slapped several times. I do own my OC, June.**

Chapter 26

June was at a lost of what to say when that thought came to mind. Could it be…was it possible that Mello really liked….

She had to fight against an oncoming blush that threatened to overcome her face.

No! No, no, no, no, no! That couldn't be it! She was simply over thinking things. She had seen one too many TV shows about a guy that had a crush on a girl.

She was just over thinking it. She was just over thinking it. She just had to keep telling herself that.

There was no way that Mello would have a crush on her. _She_ was his daily tormenter. She would steal his chocolate and call him a dumbass and just overall find a way to get on his nerves everyday. There was just no way.

For some reason, that thought made her a bit sad, but she shook it off.

"Well, you're my friend too, but you don't see me telling you to stay away from other people. You don't see me dragging you away from Matt, do you?"

Mello frowned.

"Matt's _your_ friend too. Near is my _rival_. He's trying to steal the title from me. You could be helping him for all I know."

June had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

"Trust me, I'm not helping him. He never asked and I never offered, so I never helped him before."

Mello looked away from her. He still didn't want her to hang out with Near. Even if she wasn't helping him, he just didn't want her around him. He couldn't exactly explain why, he just knew that he wanted her with him, not Near.

June sighed after seeing the look on Mello's face.

"Look, I'm not helping Near behind your back. And I said that I would help you."

Mello glanced up at her. He was just being stubborn now.

"Look, I'll help you over Near anytime, anywhere. All you have to do is ask me and I'll be there. Don't worry. You can always count on me. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Just trust me a little here."

Mello looked at her for a moment, and then looked back down into his lap. Not because he was sulking, but because he didn't want June to see the blush that was forming on his face. She didn't have to go and say all of that, even if it did make him somewhat…..happy?

They sat in awkward silence for a while, neither of them knowing what to say, which was weird because they always knew what to say, even if it was to annoy each other.

Finally, June broke the silence, determined to get Mello to act somewhat like himself, talking with a tone that said she was up to something.

"I will say that I'm somewhat touched that you value my friendship. Just wait until I tell Matt – "

In that instant, Mello pinned her down on the bed, an angry look on his face.

He still had a reputation to uphold. He could NOT let this get out.

"Don't. Tell. Matt. ANYTHING."

Yep, that seemed more like Mello. He didn't dare let anything wreck his reputation as a tough guy. Then again, didn't that rep get ruined when she beat him up? Or did that just give her a rep as the only person tough enough to beat Mello up? She decided not to think much of it.

"Okay…."

Mello nodded.

"Good."

It was at that point that they realized just how close they were to each other. Mello was on top of June, who was looking up into his ice blue eyes. Mello had never realized how her shade of blue eyes was actually a very nice shade. That was when he realized how close their faces were.

For some reason, his heart started beating faster. The same thing was happening for June. She didn't know why she just laid there. She would normally just shove him off, but for some reason, her muscles just refused to move.

Then they heard a sound that neither of them wanted to hear: the sound of someone turning the doorknob.

Immediately upon realizing this, Mello jumped off of June and stood up at the side of his bed and June sat up and scooted away from him a bit. They were both blushing madly, and they were both hoping that the other wouldn't see the blush.

Matt walked in to find the two blondes in the room. The first thing he noticed was that Mello wasn't at his desk as usual and that June didn't have her headphones on. The next thing he noticed was that the two were very red in the face.

At first, he thought that he walked in right after they finished shouting at each other. But then, he remembered that it was pretty quiet when he got close to the room. If they had been shouting, he would have heard them at least three doors away.

Then he saw the looks on their faces. They looked a bit…..nervous? Anxious? He couldn't quite place it.

Then, something in his mind clicked as he gave the scene another look. And it took all of his willpower to NOT smirk at it.

He had thought that Mello might have been developing a crush on June, but it looked like that June also had a crush on Mello. This was very interesting. Who would have thought that those two would take a liking to each other?

But, he knew that, even if that was the case, they wouldn't admit it to each other. So, he guessed that, if they did like each other, it would be a long while before one of them admitted to the other with how stubborn the both of them were.

Matt walked over to his game station and turned it on.

"Hey, June, want to play a game?"

June almost jumped from the bed at the suggestion.

"Yes. I would like to play. But this time, it will end with you losing."

She was glad for the offer. She needed something to distract her mind with. But, she also needed to act like nothing's wrong so that Matt wouldn't get suspicious of something going on. But, why should she worry about that if there wasn't anything going on? Agh! She needed to distract her mind. She especially needed to distract herself from the person that stood not five feet away from her.

Mello turned and went back to his desk to study. He could study for a bit without June's help. He needed some time without her anyway. Too bad that would be difficult with her sitting a few feet away from him. He stared into his opened textbook only to find out that he couldn't concentrate on it for some reason.

He was still thinking about what she said and how she looked when he pinned her down.

What she didn't know was that those words had meant a lot to him, not that he would say that.

What the both of them didn't know was that those words would soon be lies.

….

Once again, October rolled around and June's birthday was coming up. Matt already had her gift. It was a $25 gift card for iTunes.

However, Mello didn't know what to get her. Matt had caught him when June wasn't around and asked him what he was getting her. He said candy. That girl did have a sweet tooth, but Matt shot the idea down. He pointed out that all he ever got her was candy. He said that Mello needed to get her something else.

Mello's next idea was a gift card for iTunes, except Matt had already got her that.

So he was at a lost of what to get her. Luckily for him, Roger was letting everybody go into town two days before her birthday, so he could take that opportunity to find something.

It wasn't until he was out on his own while June and Matt checked out a video game store that Mello realized that he had a problem.

The problem was that he had NO idea what to get her. He knew that she loved music, but he didn't know what CDs she didn't have, so he should probably find something else.

Well, June was still a girl, so maybe she still liked the same things other girls like.

He went over a mental list.

Flowers? No. They would die after a while and it wasn't something that he would give anyone.

He looked across the street and saw a bookstore. She had recently gotten into manga, so she couldn't have too many series already. Unfortunately, the store didn't have a manga section, so that idea got killed.

He sighed as he walked down the street.

Why was it so hard to find a gift for someone? Especially a girl?

He walked into a random store. He was just about to give up hope and just stick to getting her candy when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye.

He stepped up to it to get a closer look.

…He wasn't sure if this was exactly her style. After all, he had never seen her have anything like this. There was the possibility that she wouldn't like it.

But, for some reason or another, he grabbed it and paid for it anyway. He would just have to hope that she would like it.

He had put it in his pocket just as he saw June and Matt walking down the sidewalk towards him, Matt holding a bag that, without a doubt, held a new video game that he would play as soon as they got back.

"Hey Mello. What were you doing in a store like this? I assumed that you were just going to get more chocolate."

No matter what, he couldn't say anything about it in front of June.

"I was just wandering around aimlessly waiting for you two to be done at the other store."

Matt held up his bag.

"Well, we're done. You ready to head back yet?"

Mello nodded.

Together, they started walking back in the direction of Wammy's.

…

June's birthday landed on a Sunday this year, so there were no classes to worry about.

Linda had the idea of throwing June a surprise party, and she had put Mello in charge of keeping June busy until everything was ready and to bring her by the playroom by five.

It was noon now and June was awake at this point. Mello had caught her as she was walking around, wondering where everyone she knew went.

She walked towards Mello when she spotted him.

"What's up?"

Mello shook his head.

"Nothing."

"Okay."

She started to walk off when Mello grabbed her wrist. Linda would kill him if he let June accidentally find out about the party.

"Want to watch a movie?"

Movies were time-consuming. That should make five hours go by painlessly.

She stared at him for a moment before answering.

"Sure."

After about a half an hour of debating (arguing) with each other, they had finally decided on _Shanghai Noon_.

The whole time was spent with the two of them laughing, June mimicking Jackie Chan's moves, and the two of them just sitting next to each other, silently watching the movie.

After the movie, there was still about two hours left until Mello had to bring June to the playroom.

Mello debated about what to do. He decided to just ask.

"What do you want to do now?"

…..No answer.

He looked over to see what was up only to see that she was asleep. At what point did she fall asleep? She was laughing her ass off about ten minutes ago. How did someone fall asleep that fast?

His train of thought stopped there when he felt her suddenly cuddling up to him. There was no way he could stop the blush that resulted from that.

She was asleep. She wasn't conscious of her actions. He just had to keep reminding himself of that.

He figured that he should move, but, for some reason, he didn't want to. She just felt nice and warm…

He immediately halted his thoughts there. He shouldn't be thinking _that_.

Slowly, he peeled himself from her and managed to stand up while she lay down on the couch. He looked down, wondering what to do. He could just leave her here and come back in two hours to pick her up, but if she woke up earlier than that, she would start moving around, which would make his job of keeping track of her harder.

He sighed and sat down in front of the couch and laid his back against the couch. He picked up the remote that was left on the floor and started channel surfing on the TV.

…

Two hours later, Mello was leading June down towards the playroom. June had a feeling what this was about, since the only person she had seen all day was Mello and no one had wished her a Happy Birthday yet.

But, nevertheless, when she walked into the playroom and saw everyone jump out to say "SURPRISE!" she gave a surprised look. She was honestly kind of glad that her friends went through so much trouble.

What was really surprising was that even Near was there. Other than him, there was Linda and Matt.

June was, soon enough, swept into the party by Linda, leaving Mello by the door.

The party went on for about three hours, during which they ate cake and had a Guitar Hero tournament (Matt brought his game station down along with a couple of guitars). It was the only video game that June was remotely good at.

Then it was time for presents.

Linda got her a sketchbook. Despite the fact that June thought that she sucked at drawing and had told Linda that several times, Linda had insisted that the characters she doodled sometimes actually weren't bad. June still wasn't convinced, but she accepted the sketchbook anyway.

Matt got her an iTunes gift card. She knew that that was going to be spent soon enough.

Near got her a 5000 piece puzzle. She figured as much from him.

Mello looked up to see that Linda came running in with another box. Where did she get that from?

"Roger said that this is from you brother. Happy Birthday!"

June looked up as a gift wrapped box was handed to her. The box was no bigger than her hand.

She took it and looked at it curiously. She seemed to be debating on whether or not to shake it to guess what was inside. She sometimes liked to try to guess.

However, Linda was practically bouncing on her feet.

"What are you waiting for? Open it!"

She decided against shaking it and started tearing off the wrapping paper. What was revealed was a plain white box. This only piqued Mello's curiosity even more. What could her brother have given her?

With her curiosity growing, she grabbed the lid and opened the box.

At first, he didn't see what was in it. Then she grabbed what was in it and held it out.

It was a necklace. A silver chain with a black pendant in the shape of a ninja star. In the center of the pendant was the symbol for yin and yang.

Mello wasn't sure why her brother would give her that, but she seemed to love it. She smiled as the necklace dangled in her hand.

She looked back into the box to see a folded up piece of paper. She picked it up to see that it was a handwritten note.

_I saw this while I was out and thought that it seemed to suit you for some reason. I hope you like it._

_Happy Birthday._

It was, of course, unsigned. She knew who it was from and there was no need for anyone here to know who her brother was.

That was it for the presents and Roger told them all that they needed to leave the room already. It was almost nine.

June was on her way to her room. She had fun at the party, but she was also a bit down. She had noticed that Mello didn't give her a gift. Normally, he just gave her candy, but he at least got her something. She didn't know why it was bothering her so much.

She got to her room and shut the door. Just as she put her gifts down on her bed, she heard someone knock on her door.

She wondered who it was.

She opened the door and saw Mello standing there. Before she could ask what he wanted, he walked past her and into her room.

Curious, she closed the door and turned to face him.

Before she could ask him anything, however, he reached out his hand. She looked down to see that it was a gift wrapped box.

"Happy Birthday."

She blinked, wondering why he was giving this to her now instead of during the party.

Wordlessly, she grabbed the box and unwrap it. Like L's gift, it was a plain white box.

Instead of debating about whether or not to shake it, she went ahead and opened it. Her eyes widened as she saw what was inside.

It was a silver bracelet, made up of silver roses and leaves.


	28. Chapter 27

**Sorry if it took me a while to get back. I had put an explanation on my profile, but for those of you who haven't read my profile, I'll explain now.**

**One word: midterms. Yes, that time of the semester had come up and I had to study. I still have three more tests, but I have time before those come up.**

**Another thing has grasped my attention and pulled me away from my stories. It is a game called Humans vs. Zombies. It is a game that is played throughout campus for a whole week. I have to survive getting to class and going on missions armed with sock bombs and Nerf guns. Nothing else can stun them. If I get tagged by a zombie, then I become a zombie and stay as a zombie for the rest of the week. In other words, it is simply a game of tag that involves Nerf guns. It is really fun. I don't think that I'll last too much longer, but then, as a zombie, I get to go around and try to "eat" people. Zombies also have missions.**

**Well, the game has only begun yesterday. There are about 270 people playing from what I heard and we started off with 5 original zombies. There are now over 70 zombies. I know that that doesn't seem so much compared to the number of humans, but zombie are sneaky. And think how much it would suck for the humans when, later in the week, they will be up against 200+ zombies. Yeah, that would definitely suck.**

**Well, anyway, this is an update, so I'll cut myself off here.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own my OC, June.**

Chapter 27

June stared at the bracelet. And kept staring at it.

….She just didn't know what to say.

For the first time since they had known each other, Mello had rendered June speechless.

Mello was starting to think that the gift was a bad idea. He had given it to her in private because he didn't want anyone to see him giving it to her. He still had a reputation here he had to think about.

He kept staring at her face, but it just stayed shocked. This was looking more like a bad idea the more time had passed.

Then, she picked it up and she had a look of awe on her face as she stared at it in a new light.

It was…it was just…so…..

Beautiful.

She couldn't think of any other way to describe it.

She then moved to put it on. The problem: she was having trouble doing it one handed. She had small wrists and the bracelet was short. She couldn't reach it with the hand attached to the wrist she was trying to put the bracelet on.

Mello saw what she was trying to do.

Before she knew it, Mello had grabbed the bracelet and hooked it on for her. There was another moment of silence.

Then, before Mello knew what was going on, she threw her arms around him.

Mello stiffened at this. She had never hugged anyone before. It just wasn't her thing or something. So this threw him off completely.

"Thank you."

Mello's heart had skipped a beat there. Did she just thank him?

She pulled away and Mello saw her smiling. She actually did love it.

Mello tried to will his heart beat to slow and stop the heat coming to his cheeks.

"Yeah, well…..I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

With that, he left and closed the door behind him before he could do anything stupid. However, he also felt a sort of….pride over the fact that she loved his gift to her.

June went over to her bed and lay down on her back. She raised her wrist so she could see the bracelet. It really was beautiful.

Well, that settled it. He really did like her, a lot. Now, that left one question in her mind.

Did she like him back?

….

The next day, June was running around outside with Matt chasing her. Why was he chasing her outside? Because she stole one of his video games in an attempt to make him go outside more. She had told him multiple times that he didn't get enough sun, but he always stayed inside playing video games, despite the fact that she was known to find some way to get him outside anyway.

"Come on June! I almost had that guy!"

June laughed as she ran. It was just so much fun messing with Matt.

Eventually, she ended up tripping and giving the game back to him (undamaged) because he caught up to her.

That was when Matt noticed something under her jacket sleeve.

It was a silver bracelet. He had never seen her wear a bracelet before. Who could have given her one?

Before he could voice his question, Mello had shown up. He had been looking for June.

Then Matt seemed to have understood. He noticed that Mello didn't give her a present last night at the party. But, now it looked like he just wanted to give it to her in private. If it was anything else, like candy, he would have thrown it at her head in front of everybody. Matt guessed that Mello didn't want anyone to think that he was going soft of anything.

Mello already knew what was going on, especially after he saw the game in Matt's hand.

It was just a typical day for them.

"Come on, it's almost dinner and don't you dare say you're not hungry."

She looked up at him, debating.

Then she got up, looked him in the eye and said, "I'm not hungry."

She, of course, only said that because she took it as some sort of challenge from Mello, who just took her hand and dragged her with him.

"You're still going to come and eat something."

Now, Matt was just trailing behind and couldn't see much of June's face, but he could have sworn that she was smiling warmly at him.

He shrugged it off. It was probably just his imagination.

…

After dinner, they all went back to Matt and Mello's room and June went to the bathroom.

Once she was at the sink, she looked at herself in the mirror and thought the same thing she had been thinking for a while.

Why did Mello like her?

She took a hard look at herself.

She had dark blonde hair. She supposed that it was a pretty color in the sun and whatnot, but she didn't like messing with her hair too much. Most people would probably consider it a rat's nest that went down to her waist now. There didn't seem to be anything special about the shade of blue her eyes were, at least in her opinion. Her face was kind of pale.

She didn't see anything that made her too special. Maybe it was something that she couldn't see but someone else could. She didn't know.

Plus, she had tormented him, yelled at him, stole from him, and just got on his nerves a whole lot. She couldn't see why he liked her.

But, since it was apparent that he did like her, did she like him back? She wasn't sure how to answer the question.

She still didn't have an answer as she walked out and sat on a bed as she watched Matt play Kingdom Hearts. She briefly wondered when he would let her played that, because that game was fun and had a good storyline.

Then she turned her attention to Mello. He was leaning back in his chair at his desk, as though wondering what to do next.

She looked over his blonde hair and the thoughtful look on his face. He wasn't scowling like he usually did, especially around Near.

She would have to admit, he looked pretty….cute?

She fought against a blush as that thought came to mind.

Ok, he was somewhat cute when he wasn't scowling, but what about him personality wise?

He was stubborn and PMSing and emotional and childish.

But he was also nice sometimes, and he did save her from freezing to death once, and he cared about her and Matt, and he scared the kid off that was annoying her even though she said that she didn't need his help, and he did help her up when she sprained her ankle and got herself a concussion from falling out of the tree.

He also gave her this bracelet.

She stopped herself there.

Ok, so maybe, just maybe, she liked him a bit. However, she wasn't going to say anything yet. She might say something in the future, or he might come out with it first, but now wasn't the time. Besides, who knew what would happen that could change things in a second. It was probably why she didn't spend so much time learning how to strategize. Things could change in a second. Things that you weren't prepared for. Winging it, of course, sounded like a bad idea, but to her, plans were more flexible like that. She could come up with something to do in no time at all. If there were any consequences, well, she would cross that bridge when and if she came to it.

It seemed better than spending so much time planning only to have everything blow up in your face. Of course, her brother didn't really agree with her.

She looked around the room. Mello was still leaning back in his chair and Matt was still playing the game.

She decided to put her headphones on and listen to Linkin Park.

After a while, she got to a song that reminded her of the Kira case that L was working on.

_One minute you're on top_

_The next you're not_

_Watch it drop_

_Making your heart stop_

_Just before you hit the floor_

_One minute you're on top_

_The next you're not_

_Missed your shot_

_Making you're heart stop_

_You think you've won_

_And then it's all gone_

Mainly, it was the part about making your heart stop that reminded her of the Kira case.

She lay down on her back and stared at the ceiling.

This case had been going on for a long time now, hadn't it?

Yet, from the sound of things, Kira was still at least one step ahead of L somehow.

Was there the chance that…..

She shook her head.

No. That was impossible. L had never lost a case before. There was no reason for him to lose now.

Kira was just tougher than the usual criminals. He was going to go down in due time, and then L would come back for a visit and tell her how he did it.

He was going to win this.

So, why was there this unfamiliar feeling of unease when she thought about the case in her gut?

Mello was watching her out of the corner of his eye. Something seemed to be bothering her. He wondered if he should ask her what was up. He knew that she wasn't going to tell him voluntarily that something was wrong.

Then he decided against it. She had always been fine before. He saw no reason why she wouldn't be fine now.

…..

A couple of weeks had passed and that feeling of unease hadn't left. It would appear every time she thought about the Kira case.

She knew her brother. He would win this case.

But, he told her to always trust your gut. Well, her gut was telling her that something was going to happen.

She didn't like the feeling. Not at all.

Mello and Matt had noticed a change in her behavior. She seemed to be spacing out a bit more often, and each time she had an unsettling look on her face. It was like she was worrying about something.

Now, it didn't take them long to think that she was worried about her brother, but they didn't know why she was worried. She had never worried about her brother before.

Finally, Matt approached the situation one afternoon when they were hanging out.

"Hey June, is everything ok?"

She looked over towards Matt who was giving her a slightly concerned look.

She frowned.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"It's just that…you've been spacing out and looking like you're worried about something. Is everything ok with your brother?"

Her eyes widened a fraction, but both boys caught it. Yep, Matt had hit the nerve.

"Yeah, well, he's been working on a case that's been going on for a while."

"What is the case?"

"A serial killer case."

"You're afraid that he isn't safe or something?"

She looked at Mello, who had asked.

"No, he's never lost before. And technically, nobody's really safe with that position. But….."

She had hesitated. Mello tried to keep a shocked look off of his face. She had never hesitated in what she had to say. This had to be serious.

She finally decided to tell them.

"Did you ever get the feeling that something bad was about to happen?"

Mello was confused at first, but then saw why she was acting so strange. She thought that something was going to happen.

"No, but I'm pretty sure that you're just over-thinking things. You just said that he never lost a case before, so why doubt now."

She smiled a bit, although it didn't reach her eyes.

"You're probably right."

After a moment of silence, Matt spoke up again.

"So, what's your brother like, anyway?"

She looked up as she thought of what to tell them. She knew that she couldn't say who he was, but telling them a little something shouldn't hurt.

"I guess you can say that he is childish and hates to lose."

Huh? Was that all she was going to say? Mello wanted to hear more, but he remembered that she wasn't allowed to tell them much about her brother, so he shouldn't pry.

After about a minute, he grabbed her hand and started walking to the entrance.

"Come on. It's going to get cold after a while and then you'll complain about the cold and about being stuck inside. So you might as well enjoy the weather while you can."

She looked at Mello as he dragged her outside and smiled a bit.

Maybe she did like him more than she was going to admit.

…..

More days had passed and that feeling never went away. In fact, if anything, it was just worst now.

It was November. It was 2a.m. She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't sleep while this uneasy feeling in her gut slowly ate away at her.

She got up and went to her computer. She fidgeted with the necklace L gave her while she waited impatiently for the computer to warm up. She had worn it all the time after she got it.

Finally! The computer was finished.

She typed away and did what L had told her to do if she needed to contact him. She knew it was late, but he was an insomniac. With any luck, the late hour would mean that L was alone now.

However, she paused before she finished trying to get a connection. She didn't know why, but she was suddenly afraid. Why was she afraid? There was no reason to be afraid. This was just to check on her brother since it had been months since she had last seen him.

However, when she was done, she wished that she hadn't persevered. She couldn't comprehend the words that flashed on the screen. She knew what they meant and under what conditions Watari had been told to do this, but she couldn't believe it.

She fell out of her chair as the message on the screen began to sink in.

_ALL DATA DELETION!_


	29. Chapter 28

**I'm back and still human! Well, I was a zombie for about six hours and then a side effect of a mission cured me. But that's beside the point. I still have until Thursday at 12:01 a.m. before the game ends.**

**Anyway, I had some down time and decided to work on this chapter. However, I have recently renewed my interest in Kingdom Hearts. No, not because I'm playing the new game. That is mainly because I don't own a PSP (darn you makers of KH! Why can't you make all the games for more than one console! Grrrrrrr….).**

**Anyway, I was struck by the inspiration to make a fanfic for KH. I know I'm crazy! I already have more than one story going on, so why add another? Because if I don't write this down, I lose the story I was going to write.**

**But, if I write it down, do you guys want me to post it? I know I'm not the only KH fan, so would you guys want me to go through with the story? Let me know in your review. **

**In other words: REVIEW IF YOU WANT A KH STORY!**

**Well, time for Death Note.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own my OC, June.**

Chapter 28

For the past few days, Matt and Mello noticed something wrong with June.

No, it wasn't the fact that she wasn't eating much because she was already doing that.

It was the fact that she seemed detached from everyone. In fact, she was actually spending more time in her room now. The weirdest part: there was no music coming out through the door.

That had set off several warning bells for the two boys. What on earth could have happened?

The only person who knew what happened was June.

_She remembered as she stared at the screen what L had told Watari to do if anything were to happen. He was to delete everything._

_She shook her head. No, this couldn't be happening. This just couldn't be happening._

_Then she realized something. Watari was to do this if something had happened to him. What about L? Did anything happen to him?_

_She didn't know. She got back up and sat down._

_She typed away to find any other clue to the best of her ability (computers tend to hate her)._

_Then, at the top of the screen, a timer showed up. Her eyes widened. This must be how much time there was left until Roger was notified of L's….._

_She clutched her head as she tried to block the thought out._

_No, no, no! This couldn't be happening!_

_Why? Why was this happening? There had to be a glitch in the system. This had to be a false alarm. Unfortunately, she knew full well that L didn't allow for there to be any glitches and false alarms. This was real._

_She started trembling. What should she do? What could she do?_

_She looked up at the computer. L had to have left something. He was able to deposit anything into her computer at any given time. _

_Maybe he left something. Something that said he was still alive._

_She searched through her own computer more thoroughly than she normally would have._

_Then, she spotted a file that she had never seen before._

_She opened it up._

_It was all of L's notes on the Kira case._

_She froze as she read the message that came with the notes._

_Her brain couldn't process it. This couldn't be true. This had to be some sort of sick joke._

_But, in order for this to be a joke, someone had to be able to hack L's computer, which was highly unlikely._

_She looked down as she started trembling again. _

_She noticed a couple of wet spots on her pajama pants. Then she noticed that her vision was getting blurred. When did she start crying?_

_She tried to wipe the tears away. She had to make sure that no one would get to these notes._

_She brought out a disk and inserted it into the hard drive. As she started saving the information, she looked over it._

_Light Yagami was the prime suspect. Misa Amane was the second Kira._

_The method of death was something called a Death Note. Anyone whose name was written in it died. She didn't understand how that was possible. As she looked into it more, L had stated that the Death Note belonged to a shinigami._

_Shinigami? That couldn't be right. But, L was never wrong._

_Plus, there were those…things….that she saw on a few occasions. She knew that they weren't human. There was no way that they were human. But, for some reason, nobody else could see them. She didn't know why._

_But, she knew that if she told anyone, she would be thought of as crazy. When she was younger, it could have been passed off as her imagination. But, the older she got, the more likely she would be locked up if she insisted they were there._

_She knew that. That was why she never told anyone. Not even L._

_So, maybe shinigami wasn't a crazy thing after all. _

_She looked at all the evidence that pointed out Light Yagami._

_Everything seemed to fit. He should be Kira. But, it said something about a 13-day rule._

_Before she could think more about it, the data started deleting itself._

_Her eyes widened._

_No, no, no! Her computer was supposed to be safe! L had set up the firewall himself!_

_She looked to see that the process of saving the data was only at 35%._

_She frantically tried everything she could to try to save L's notes._

_But, in the end, everything in the file got deleted._

_She couldn't believe it. She checked the disk to see if anything was saved. Nothing was saved when the process was halted._

_She checked the rest of her computer. That was the only file to have been wiped out._

_She stared at the computer. Then she clenched her teeth._

_There was only one person who would do this._

_Kira._

_That bastard! He killed L! That son of a bitch! _

_She wanted him dead. She wanted him to suffer!_

_How dare he…_

_How dare he kill him!_

_She grabbed the keyboard and threw it at the wall._

_Then she broke down, sat on the floor, curled up in the fetal position, and cried._

She just didn't know what to do. She knew that she was supposed to help L's successor.

Well, since he had never chosen one, she supposed that she should try to make Mello work with Near. That was the best option that she saw ever since she got to know them.

But…..she was afraid. She didn't want to admit it. She tried to avoid thinking about it. But, deep down, she knew she was afraid.

Kira had killed L, the world's greatest detective.

Near and Mello weren't at L's level individually. Not even she was as good as L, even though he had raised her himself.

What chance did they have?

Normally, she wouldn't have questioned herself like that. But, Kira was smart. He was tough.

Did anyone have a chance?

Going against him meant death.

She had never once allowed the possibility of death cross her mind, despite the fact that she knew it was part of the occupational hazard when going after criminals.

She had been naïve.

She had a few days until Roger was notified.

What should she do?

She knew that she should go with Near and Mello when they would hear about this.

But, for some reason, she didn't think she could will herself to do it.

But, she had a few days to think about it.

She really wished that L was there to calm her down.

…..

Mello was worried. He wouldn't admit it, but he was worried.

June had said absolutely nothing when they had finally dragged her out of her room.

She had been there for a couple of days. She only left when they had dragged her out to eat.

This wasn't like her. She hated being alone.

She wasn't even listening to music anymore.

Just what the hell happened?

Mello wanted to ask, but didn't. He knew that she would be stubborn. He needed to think of a good way to approach this so that he wouldn't set her off.

Matt was worried as well. Did something happen to her brother?

He hoped not. She clearly loved him. She looked up to him. He couldn't comprehend what would happen to June if somethinghappened to him.

She was even more detached and quiet than when she first arrived here.

Whatever was going on couldn't be good.

….

There was one day left. Tomorrow, Roger would know. Tomorrow, Mello, Near, and possibly herself, would be called into his office to hear the news.

She wasn't sure if she could go through with it.

She relied on others more than she would admit, but she had distanced herself from her friends. She had no one to be her support.

Even though that was her fault, she didn't want to go to them for some reason.

She had never wanted anyone to see her cry, even when she was little. If she was upset, she would distance herself.

In hindsight, that was not the best idea. In the years that would follow, this habit of hers would be what ate at her from the inside, making her hollow.

Of course, since she was upset and not a physic, she didn't let the thought cross her mind.

Maybe it was her pride that prevented her from going to get help from others. Not even later would she know why she would let this happen. It was just how she worked.

And it was killing her.

Mello had managed to drag her into his and Matt's room, determined to confront her about this.

She wasn't herself. She wasn't the girl that he knew.

He was going to get answers from her.

After the door was closed and June sat down on the bed, Mello walked over to stand right in front of her.

She looked up, only barely seeing him there with a frown on his face. Her mind was somewhere else.

"June, just what the hell is going on?"

She blinked as she pulled her mind back to what was happening now.

"What are you talking about?"

This only pissed Mello off.

"You know what I'm talking about, so don't lie! I'm talking about why you're so distant and have been sulking for the past several days."

So, Mello did pay attention to something other than himself.

She frowned up at him.

"I just felt like being alone lately. Is there a problem with that?"

This only further agitated him.

"Yes there is problem with that! You _hate_ being alone! So tell me what the hell is wrong!"

For some reason, she was getting irritated. She wanted to go back to her room. She didn't feel like dealing with Mello's shit today.

When he didn't get an answer, he started yelling again.

"Dammit June! Will you just drop your pride and just ask me for help? You were the one that told me not to do everything alone and to ask for help! So why don't you take your own advice?"

She was getting more pissed off by the second.

"JUNE! Are you even fucking listening to me?"

She snapped.

She stood up and punched him in the gut as hard as she could.

As he went down in pain, she ran out of the room.

On her way out, she ran into Matt. But, before Matt could ask what was wrong, she ran off to her room.

He looked into his and Mello's room to find Mello on the ground clutching his stomach.

"What the hell happened?"

Mello slowly stood up.

"I confronted her to see what was wrong and she punched me in the gut! I honestly don't get her….."

Matt sighed. He knew how Mello got whenever he confronted someone. That would probably explain why it had ended so badly.

"Maybe we should just give her some space."

Mello snapped his head around to glare at Matt.

"What did you think I've been doing? I gave her space when she refused to leave her room. I gave her time to deal with whatever the hell her problem was by herself. She was obviously not getting better, so I interfered. But now…it's like I don't even know her anymore!"

He sat down on his bed and laid his face in one of his hands.

June had changed a lot. He always knew that she was temperamental, but she also had a bit more patience. It would usually take a bit more than that to make her snap sometimes.

Something had to be wrong.

"Do you think…..something happened to her brother?"

Mello snapped his head up. Then he shook his head.

"No. Even L gave her brother praise. I doubt that he could be taken down easily. Besides, he's not even on the Kira case, which has to be harder than whatever serial killer that her brother was tracking down."

Matt wasn't so sure. Anything could happen on a case.

Mello sighed.

"I'll give her one more day. After that, I'm dragging whatever her problem is out of her."

Matt stared at Mello.

He was really worried about her.

Matt sighed. Maybe everything would work out tomorrow.

…

Half of the day was over, and there had been no sign of June. Mello figured that she was in her room.

He was going to wait until the end of the day and then confront her again.

However, he couldn't help but think that there was something seriously wrong.

He couldn't put his finger on it.

Linda spotted the two boys in the hall and walked up to them.

"Hey, have you two seen June? I haven't seen her since yesterday. Nobody has."

They weren't the only ones worried.

"No, but she hasn't been well lately. She should probably be left alone for now."

Linda nodded and then walked off.

Matt was hoping that June would get better soon. He didn't think he could take Mello's sulking behavior.

Then Matt looked out a window and saw a soccer game going on.

"Come on. Maybe playing soccer would clear your mind."

Mello blinked, taken aback because he knew that Matt hated going outside.

But, nevertheless, they both went outside and played soccer.

….

When Mello came back in, Roger grabbed his arm.

"Mello and Near, come to my room."

They were both before his desk, Mello standing and Near crouched down doing a puzzle.

"What is it, Roger?"

"L is dead."

Mello couldn't help but stand there and gap at him.

He couldn't believe it.

"Dead? W-why?"

Roger didn't answer and Near just continued his puzzle.

"Y…..you mean he was killed by Kira? Is that it…..?"

"Most likely."

"He promised he would see Kira dead! L was killed…? Are you sure?"

"Mello….."

Just then, Near tip the puzzle over to let it fall apart.

"If you can't beat the game, if you can't solve the puzzle, you're nothing but a loser."

Mello stared back at him, and then returned his focus to Roger.

"So then which of us did L….."

It was silent for a moment except for the sound of Near solving the puzzle again.

"Neither of you, yet….he can't choose now that he's dead…."

Mello couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Mello, Near…how about you two work together…..?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

No, working with Near was unacceptable.

"That's impossible, Roger. You know Near and I don't get along…..We're always competing."

Always…..

"It's fine, Roger…..Near can be L's successor. Unlike me, Near will calmly and unemotionally solve the puzzle. I'm going now…..I'm leaving the orphanage, too."

"Mello."

"I'm almost 15 anyway, Roger."

He turned and was heading for the door.

"I'll live life my own way."

"Mello, wait."

Just as he was about to grab the doorknob, Roger spoke up.

"There is also a matter concerning June."

He felt his heart stop. He froze at the door, hand at the doorknob.

He turned his head toward Roger.

"What do you mean? What about June?"

He was afraid of the answer he would receive.

He didn't see her all day and she hadn't been herself. This was enough to make him worry about what Roger was about to say.

"She's disappeared. I have reason to believe that she vanished sometime last night."

Mello couldn't process what he said. Disappeared? What did he mean?

"What do you mean 'disappeared'? Was she kidnapped or….." He left his question hanging.

"I mean that she ran away. She is no longer anywhere near here."

Mello just stood there. His heart sunk. When the news finally registered to him, he felt overwhelming rage consume him.

That lying bitch.

"We need to find her as soon as possible, before her trail gets cold."

Mello just turned his back.

"Why should I care? I don't need her for anything."

He could feel Near's eyes boring into his back, but he didn't care. That twit could think whatever he wants.

"I'm going to live my own life. I don't need anyone, especially her."

With that, Mello left Roger's office and went straight to June's room. He couldn't believe that she left without seeing it for himself.

He arrived at her room and opened her door.

He stepped inside, holding his breath. All of the warmth that used to be in the room was gone, as though it left with its occupant.

Her bed was made and looked cold. The glass jar were she kept her savings was empty. Her backpack was gone. The pocket knife that she kept hidden under the mattress (because Roger would freak if he knew about it) wasn't there.

Only a few of her possessions were missing, but they were useful possessions.

Mello's rage increased at the site. She was really gone. There was no denying it now.

The bitch had run off without leaving so much as a note behind to explain anything.

Mello left her room to go pack.

If that was how things were going to be, then fine. He didn't need her to beat Near. He would solve this case and beat Near on his own. She meant nothing to him anymore.

….

After he had packed up everything he needed, he went back to June's room for some reason.

Matt had caught him in the hallway and said that he was going with him. Matt was now packing everything he needed before meeting up with Mello.

Mello looked over the room again, as though not believing that she was really gone.

He couldn't believe…..that he actually liked her.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something silver.

It was her iPod. She left it on her desk.

He picked it up and looked at it.

For some reason that he couldn't explain, he pocketed it and left her room.

As he slammed the door shut one last time, a slip of paper fell from the doorframe.

Had Mello seen it, he would have read the two words that were scrawled on it.

_Sorry Mello._

…

Mello met up with Matt at the entrance and the two of them trudged out into the rain.

"Now Matt, I may have to exclude you from some of the plans, so we're going to find some place for you to stay and keep an eye on Kira while I work on my own end."

Matt wasn't really listening. He couldn't believe that June really left. Her problem must have been worst than they thought.

Before they had reached the gate, Matt saw something shine a bit in the grass.

When Matt got a closer look at it, he saw that it was June's bracelet. She must have dropped it on her way out.

While Mello wasn't looking, he picked it up and pocketed it. He would return it to her the next time he saw her.

With that, the two of them left Wammy's to take down Kira, and Mello trying to forget June entirely.

**And that was the last chapter regarding the past. The next chapter, we go back to the Kira case!**

**Now remember to leave a review and tell me if you want me to write a KH story!**

**Now, later! **


	30. Chapter 29

**I'm back with the Kira case!**

**With the encouragement of Miss Bright, I decided to go with writing a KH story. The story is called Vessel. Go check that out as well!**

**However, I need a bit of help with the name. I have an idea of the name, but since a large part of the story revolves around the organization, I still need another name for the OC. So I've set up a poll on variations of a name for you to choose. PLEASE VOTE!**

**Well, nothing left to do except to go on with the story (and maybe leave a review)!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. How many times do I have to say that? I do own my OC, June.**

Chapter 29

Mello watched from across the street as Misa dragged June to check out some of L.A.'s night life.

They had been watching her for days and didn't find anything linking her to Kira. June did say that those who gave up ownership of the Death Note lost all memories concerning it. As far as she was concerned, this was a dead end. But Mello wanted to make sure. Besides, it was her stupid "plan" that got her this close to a suspect in the first place.

"Come on June! Are you saying you've never been drinking before?"

Misa seemed to be shocked.

"Um, Misa, I'm 18. I'm not allowed to go drinking in this country."

That didn't stop Misa from dragging her into a bar.

"Misa! They're never gonna allow me in here!"

Misa just waved it off.

"Oh, don't worry about it! You're with me. They won't say anything against you being here with me."

As it turned out, Misa was right. That and Misa did lie to the bartender.

He jumped at the chance to serve a celebrity and, even though June didn't look old enough, he didn't question Misa when she said it was okay for her to drink.

June did order a drink, just to get Misa off of her case, but only took small sips from it every 10 minutes.

20 minutes later, Misa was stumbling around and slurring her words. She just couldn't hold her liquor.

Then, the moment that June was hoping wouldn't come up, came up.

"Hey June! Why don't you check out some of the guys here? I know they're checking you out!"

Ugh. Why wouldn't Misa understand that she just wasn't interested? Plus, she was a minor in here! A lot of these guys were in their 30s. There were a couple that looked to be in their 20s and, if she guessed them to have fake IDs, late teens.

Mello didn't like it whenever Misa brought it up, either. He had June wear a bug whenever she went somewhere with Misa, so he could hear them loud and clear in the middle of a bar. He hated the idea of June being with someone else.

"Misa, I've told you, I'm not interested in just picking up guys in a bar."

She had no interest in being somebody's fuck buddy.

"But come on! Some of these guys are cute~! Like that one over there!"

June looked at the guy she pointed out.

"That guy's a creeper."

Misa looked at her confused.

"What makes you say that?"

"He's been giving one of the bartenders a creepy stare for the past 10 minutes. He's a creeper."

If there was one thing that June was good at, it was reading people.

"Well, what about that one?"

"He's been staring at the nine-year-old that someone brought with them for several minutes with an intense stare. He's a pedophile. I would say call the cops, except there's nothing to charge him on here."

Misa looked alarm and grabbed her cell phone, prepared to call the cops if the kid disappeared.

June, however, took the initiative. She walked off before Misa could protest and was back in five minutes.

"What did you do?"

"Just wait."

Five minutes later, the cops showed up, went up to the pedophile and some other guy.

"Excuse us, but we got a call about a drug deal going on."

One of the guys, the obvious pothead, jumped and started stammering.

"W-w-w-what? What drugs? I didn't see any drugs."

"Will you step outside with us?"

The pothead ran for it, which basically said that he was guilty.

The pedophile went with the cops, convinced that there was nothing on him. Three minutes later, he was in the back seat after a bag of pot was found in his pocket.

Misa looked out the window as the man was taken away.

Then she looked at June. Misa wasn't completely stupid.

"Did you – ?"

"Don't ask."

…

"Huh?"

"What is it?"

"This kid's lifespan just got extended for no reason.'

"That's weird, isn't it?"

"Eh, not our problem."

….

Misa then pointed out someone else.

"Him?"

"YOU can hold your liquor better than him."

Misa was too drunk to take it as an insult.

"That guy over there."

"The word 'rape' comes to mind…."

"Him?"

"He's married."

Misa pouted.

"I'll admit you're very good. You could be a detective with those skills."

June decided not to comment.

"But you keep pointing out something wrong with everyone! Why not just go with a guy and see how things work out! I mean, I know that not everyone is as perfect as my Light."

Great, not another ten minute lecture of how Light was "perfect". If by perfect, she meant a deceiving, murderous bastard that needed to pay for EVERYTHING, then yes, he was perfect.

But she decided not to voice her thoughts for obvious reasons.

Just then, some guy sat in the seat next to June.

Out of curiosity, she glanced at him.

He was tall and had dark hair.

He took a glance at her and she saw that he had bright green eyes.

Misa looked over at him and thought that he was cute.

After a few minutes, the guy decided to speak.

"Hi!"

June nodded in acknowledgement.

"I'm Danny."

"….June."

"June? That's a cute name."

She willed herself to not think of him as cute. Then again, he was pretty cute…..

Agh! She stopped her thoughts right there.

"Sooooo, you come here often?"

He really was going to start a conversation like that?

"…No."

"Oh."

Another moment of silence.

"Are you shy or anything?"

She didn't answer, even though the truth was that she did, in fact, get shy around new people.

He took it as a yes, apparently.

"Well, that's cool. I don't mean to pry or anything….."

They sat there, not speaking, which was fine with June. She preferred it like that. However, Misa didn't.

"Heeeeey~! How would you like a date with her?"

June could NOT stop the blush.

On the other side of the bar, Mello was starting to feel a bit murderous.

"Misa!"

"No, that's okay. I don't want to force you or anything."

This almost took June by surprise.

The only other person who had been so considerate towards her was Matt.

Mello didn't like June's reaction to the guy. It was almost like she _would_ consider going out with him.

"Oh, well, okay then."

Now the silence was more awkward. Then Misa dragged her out, telling Danny, "Excuse us."

Outside of the bar, Misa confronted her.

"Okay, spill it."

June blinked.

"Spill what?"

"Don't play coy. You have a boyfriend, don't you?"

Eeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhh?

"You've turned down every guy in there! You didn't even give them a chance! Admit it, you have a boyfriend!"

"No, I honestly don't."

Just like she honestly couldn't stop the blush that threatened to overcome her face at the subject.

"Don't lie! Is it that red-head that was wearing goggles?"

What? How did she know about Matt? Oh shit. Did she spot them before June "ran into" her?

"Him? He's just an old friend."

"Are you sure? You two seemed pretty friendly with each other!"

Didn't she just say that they were old friends? What would it take to – GAH! Why was it always difficult to handle this subject?

"That's because he is a friend of mine. We grew up together in the same orphanage."

June had already explained to Misa that she grew up in an orphanage in a different country.

Misa calmed down a bit, thinking that the orphanage was a sore subject for her (which it really wasn't unless you counted the last few weeks).

"Oh."

Then she grinned. Oh shit. This couldn't be good.

"Why not ask him out on a date?"

Again, eeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhh?

"W-what are you talking about? That would be awkward!"

Misa pouted.

"But you clearly don't trust guys you just met too much! And you're already 18!"

June still didn't see the rush in getting a boyfriend.

"You're going to end up all alone while I have Light!"

That might not be true, but June wasn't going to tell her that.

"All I'm saying is one date with him. If it really is that awkward, then you don't have to keep going out with him. I'm just saying to take the chance!"

That still didn't convince June.

"Just call him at least!"

June pulled out her cell phone and looked down at it. Maybe if she just faked his end of the conversation and made it seem like he wasn't available, she could get away with it and Misa would get off of her back.

"Call him or I do it for you!"

If it wasn't for the fact that she had him in contacts, she would have dared Misa to try it without his number.

She sighed and reluctantly called Matt.

_June? Is something wrong?_

For some reason, it felt nice to know that someone would show their concern for her.

"Hey Matt. I was just calling to see how you were doing."

She could imagine Matt's confused look.

_Huh? June, is someone listening in on the call?_

He wasn't third best for nothing.

"Yeah, I was just wondering if you could, I don't know, hang out sometime?"

_Do you need my help with something?_

She needed to end this before Misa got any ideas.

"Oh, you can't. Oh well, maybe another time – "

Before she could hang up, Misa grabbed the phone from her.

Anyone wanna bet how the next few minutes played out?

"Hey….Matt, was it? Well, anyway, June was calling to see if you wanted to go on a date with her!"

"Misa! I didn't say that! Gimme my phone back!"

"Oh, come on! You know you want to~! Do you know how many guys would kill to go on a date with her?"

"MISA!"

However, Matt knew of someone who would kill anyone that would try to go near her. And he was supposed to be watching the two of them. A date would NOT go well.

However, with how abrasive Misa was being, he found himself saying "yes".

Misa smiled.

"Good! It's a double date then! You and June and me and my fiancé, Light!"

Wait – WHAT? WHEN DID SHE DECIDE ON THAT?

"Okay! See you tomorrow at eight! Don't be late!"

With that, Misa ended the call.

June…was…shocked.

While she doubted that Light would indulge her on a double date, the thought of meeting Kira…..

It was a bad idea. She, Matt, and Mello knew that. For two reasons:

While she and Matt weren't on Kira's radar, showing them Matt's face could be dangerous if his name gets discovered.

June wasn't sure if she would be able to keep her temper in check around him.

It was something that would take A LOT of self-control. After all, that bastard killed her brother.

"Well, it's all set then!"

June sighed.

"Fine. Can we just call it a night already?"

Misa nodded; satisfied that she got June a date.

After taking Misa home and making sure nobody saw her enter her and Mello's temporary base, she crashed on the couch, since Mello had kicked her out of the bed.

The weird thing was that she didn't see Mello anywhere. Was he still out? Was he in his room sleeping?

She didn't know, and at the moment, she was too tired to care. She fell asleep on the couch.

What she didn't know was that Mello was in his room. He just wasn't asleep.

He was silently fuming about the "date" she now had with Matt. As well as trying to get over a pain in his chest.

**Sorry if this chapter seemed a bit short. This was just how it worked out at the end. Please don't kill me! **

**Anyway, don't forget to vote for a name for my OC on my profile! I need them to continue my KH story!**


	31. Chapter 30

***Shield myself with a Stitch plushy* (yeah, I have one. It's awesome.) PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! **

**Life had to take priority and, I don't know how it happened, but it was like something had pushed an off switch for my will to write. I just didn't have the mindset to write for some reason. I've had an essay to write, an experiment to conduct, and finals are only a month away now (it's amazing how time flies. I swear that the first day of semester felt like it was just two weeks ago). And it's not only this story. I'll admit, I spent some of my time recently to get my KH story off the ground, but after the last update, I just couldn't get myself on Word to get anymore updates done.**

**But, as you can see, I've managed to sit in front of a computer long enough to get at least enough of my muse back to write up this next chapter. It just took a while (my mind has been easily distracted lately).**

**So, with the explanation out of the way, I give you the latest update!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own my OC, June.**

Chapter 30

Sigh. This was going to be a looong night.

June and Matt had already agreed to make this night as painless as possible, but there was no guarantee that Misa wouldn't pull something.

June was standing next to Misa at the restaurant that she wanted to go to. As predicted (and hoped for) Light did not indulge her on the double date, much to June's relief. So, Misa was stuck with Mogi that night. Misa was _not_ happy about Light turning down the double date so adamantly, but she insisted that the date would still go on for June's "sake".

June was hoping that Light not showing up would mean that Misa would have left June and Matt alone. If she had insisted that she and Matt should still go out, they would have blown off the restaurant for the arcade that was a couple of blocks over. They would have just said that they went on the date, found it awkward, and decided to remain as just friends.

But nooooooo. Misa decided to have Mogi as her "date" so she could see how June and Matt's "date" went. Either Misa had no problem with being a third wheel or was just not familiar with the term.

Now, June thought that Misa was a nice girl and all, but she was seriously starting to annoy her. June did not want to go on a date. She did not want to fake a date with Matt. She just wanted to catch Kira, avenge her brother, and….and….

What _was_ she going to do after everything about the case was done?

June had just now realized that she didn't give much thought about after the case. Then again, she didn't normally give much thought to what the future would hold and what to expect (hence, why she didn't see L's death coming). She knew that the future held endless possibilities and that there was who knew how many outcomes for anything. This was why she didn't bother with plans that didn't involve the immediate future (i.e. the next few minutes) and probably why she sucked at chess so much (she preferred to wing it).

"Hey June."

June was knocked out of her thoughts when she saw Matt walking up to them, waving at her.

June waved back. Just as she hoped and to Misa's dismay, Matt was taking this "date" casually. He was wearing his usual clothes. June had caved to Misa's demands and wore the blue top she got on their first shopping trip, but wore her usual blue jacket over it with the claim that it was cold.

They all walked into the restaurant, got their table, and started looking over the menu. Only Matt was conscious of the blonde that was at the table all the way in the back and out of everyone's line of sight. Matt was hoping that he wouldn't do anything rash.

"So Matt, June told me that you were from the same orphanage."

Matt nodded, wondering just how much of the truth that June stuck to.

"Yeah, that's right."

"So, how did you guys get to know each other?"

Again, Matt wasn't sure just how much of the truth that June told Misa. He didn't want the stories to get mixed up. But, June had beaten him to the catch and started talking.

"Well, at first I didn't think much of him, to be honest."

She looked over at Matt.

"No offense."

Before Matt could say anything, she started talking again.

"It was pretty much the first day of school that we started hanging out. I got bored in math class and he was playing a video game under his desk. I decided to see what he was playing and was more entertained watching him play the game than listening to the teacher. He didn't mind, and after a couple of classes in which we did the same thing, we just started hanging out together."

Matt nodded, confirming the story because it was true. He knew that June didn't necessarily lie unless she needed to, but he was worried about giving nothing but the truth. He was glad that Light didn't come after all. Even though no one on the Task Force knew of June's existence (with the exception of Mogi) or her connection to L, Light knew about Wammy's. To give so much of the truth seemed like treading on thin ice. But, June seemed to know what she was doing, so he wasn't going to say anything to her about it.

Misa nodded.

"Did you guys have any other friends there?"

June nodded and, once again, did all the talking.

"I was friends with this one girl. She always liked hanging out in the art room. I used to hang out with her quite a bit. And there was this one other guy, but it was actually quite a while before we became friends."

Now Matt spoke up.

"A while? Try forever. It was hard to be both your friend and his when all you two did was fight and beat the crap out of each other."

June saw a surprised look on Misa.

"We did not get along real well. And it was his fault for picking a fight with someone who took martial arts!"

"Yeah, but you would also steal his stuff."

"That is irrelevant."

"How is that irrelevant?"

Misa finally spoke up.

"How did you ever become friends with that guy if all you did was fight?"

June took a moment to think about it. It was true that L had told her to stop fighting and think about helping him. But, even with L telling her to do that, how _did_ they become friends?

"Eh, my brother told me to knock it off with the fighting and to try to get along with the guy."

"I still don't see how you were friends."

June shrugged her shoulders as the waiter came to take their orders.

…..

Thirty minutes later, June was really starting to get annoyed, not that she showed it on her face (she hoped).

The family in the table next to them, the busboy, the hostess, Mogi, and even the freaking waiter saw that Matt and June had more of a sibling relationship between the two of them. The waiter tried to hit on her a couple of times because it was so obvious. Only Misa insisted that they tried to act like a couple.

Honestly, all that June and Matt did was talk about video games.

"Matt, remind me to steal your handheld later."

"Why?"

"Because that Final Fantasy VII game sounds like fun."

"Why don't you get your own?"

"Because I don't have a PSP or a PS2 or whatever that game is played on."

This was basically how their conversation went. And June was pretty sure that it was starting to annoy Misa.

Matt wasn't sure if June was just acting in front of Misa so her cover wouldn't be blown or what, but, slowly but surely, June was starting to act like her old self. Threatening to steal his games was something she used to always do.

Mogi, however, was able to restrain Misa throughout most of the dinner. He didn't see why Misa thought it was a good idea to throw two friends into such an awkward position. What Misa needed to do was to stop meddling.

FINALLY, they were making their way out of the restaurant.

At Misa's insistence, Mogi paid for the dinner. June almost felt sorry for him. The place they ate at wasn't cheap. But, it got her out of paying for the meal, so she wasn't complaining. She would just have to make sure to repay him for that some other time.

They were out on the sidewalk when Misa decided that they would go their separate ways from there. She and Mogi went in one direction and Matt and June went in another.

"Sorry that you had to put up with that. Misa wouldn't get off my back about the whole date thing."

Matt shrugged.

"No problem. How did she know about me anyway?" Now _that_ was the main concern right there.

"I think she saw us together when we were first tailing her, right before I confronted her."

Matt nodded.

"But still, how did that lead to a date night?"

"I've kept turning down the guys that came our way when I was watching her. She jumped to the conclusion that I was doing that because I already had a boyfriend, which I don't. And, after remembering you, she thought that you were the boyfriend. I tried telling her otherwise, but she just didn't want to listen, especially after who knew how many drinks she had that night."

Matt nodded, understanding the situation.

"Well, we better head back. I have to go back to keeping an eye on the Task Force headquarters."

June groaned at the thought of being alone with Mello.

Matt noticed this.

"You know, despite what Mello said, he actually does care about you."

June froze as the words sunk in. Matt stopped walking when he noticed that she wasn't next to him and looked back at her.

There was an unidentifiable look on her face. On the inside, her mind was racing a bit. Then she shook it off.

"Yeah right. As if he cares about a coward like me."

Matt shook his head.

"You're not a coward."

"Yes I am. I ran away. I told my brother that I would help his successors since I turned down the position myself. I said that I would continue his legacy with whoever succeeded him. But, I ran away and turned that promise into a lie. I'm nothing more than a coward."

"A coward wouldn't have come back."

She looked down at the ground. There was sense in his words. A coward would have stayed away. She did come back to make up for running off. But, she still ran in the first place.

"That doesn't cover up the fact that I still ran in the first place. I'm still a coward."

Matt was starting to get frustrated with this. She was really stubborn when she wanted to be.

He walked over to her and grabbed her shoulders. She looked up at him. He placed his goggles on his forehead so that she could see in his eyes that he was telling the truth.

"June, Mello does care. More than he wants to admit. You just have to trust me on this."

June looked him full in the eye, especially since he _never_ takes his goggles off. At least, as far as she could remember.

He was being serious about this. She wasn't sure what to say about this.

Meanwhile, while the two of them had been talking, neither of them had noticed that they had been followed.

Back at the restaurant, Mello had debated about whether to follow Misa and Mogi in case it led to any new leads. But, he also wanted to follow Matt and June to see what they were doing.

It was probably better to for him to follow the suspect, but he followed Matt and June instead. He didn't hear a word from the conversations they were having because June forgot the bug she was supposed to wear and he told Matt that June would wear a bug, which she didn't. So he had no idea what they were talking about.

He figured he would catch up with them and get it from them. That and make sure that they weren't doing anything (though he didn't want to admit to that).

Which led to what was happening now.

He saw June stop in her tracks and Matt walking over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. Mello was too far away to hear what they were saying, but he did see that Matt's goggles were no longer over his eyes.

This was a surprise.

Matt _never_ took his goggles off unless he was being completely serious. Something had to be going on.

Mello ducked into an alleyway as he came close enough to catch the last part of the conversation.

"….admit. You just have to trust me on this."

June looked down as she considered his words. What if what he was saying was true? What should she do? What should she say? She didn't know anymore.

Matt relaxed when he saw that she was at least considering his words. She didn't have to completely believe him. She just had to think about what he said. She would eventually see that he was right.

June looked up at him. He was really being serious here. Maybe she should trust him on that. Then again, when did she ever have to doubt what he said?

"Thanks, Matt. I think….."

Before she could finish what she was going to say, some guy walking down the sidewalk bumped into Matt, causing him to fall forward.

Unfortunately, instead of falling flat on his face, which was probably preferred over what actually happened, he fell onto June, his lips inadvertently covering hers.

Even more unfortunate was that Mello didn't poke his head around the corner of the alleyway in time to see the guy bump into Matt, causing him to fall forward.

He just saw Matt kissing June in the middle of the sidewalk.

**I'm hoping that this chapter wasn't terrible or anything. Like I said, I've been having a hard time writing lately, so I'm hoping you guys like this. I make no promises about when the next update will be, but I will try for as soon as possible.**

**Well, I would like to take the time now to thank all the readers who've reviewed, alerted, and all that with this story.**

**Thank you to the following people:**

**f-f-frances, Never And Forever X, Kira the Wolf, .x, Amy122, jazzy-me123, ravenstarwolf, Miss Bright, ravingrabbids, , AnimeLuvr4Life, Ava N. Nightingale, Dani AnneMarie, EvaTheNymphe, shinigami777, Tantei S, TopGearGirl, Triple Rainbow, XKawaii-Neko-ChanX, BlackMoonWhiteSky, DarkMarionette182, .77, Kaiyira, Kidaowre, Moonlight and Music, Rainnyash, .Xx.**

**Thank you all for the support! I will try to not make you wait too long, but, like I said, I can't make any promises right now. **

**Well, until next time! See ya! **


	32. Chapter 31

***Looks at calendar* Oh crap! I didn't mean to keep you guys waiting this long!**

**I have an explanation that hopefully you'll get (especially if you're a student). I had temporarily lost my muse, not because of lack of motivation because you guys have been great with that, but because life got busy. I was kept busy over Thanksgiving break and then the dreaded finals came up. Luckily, I passed (I rather not mention by how much for one class) and I was set to get to work during a three week (yeah I said three) long Winter break. But, funny thing was, I left all of my Death Note manga at my dorm. n-n' So, when I wanted to check on something or reference it, I couldn't because the dorms were closed all break. So, now it's spring semester and I'm able to get back to work.**

**I find it so frustrating that it's been taking me this long to update this story, especially since I know EXACTLY how I want to end it. Don't worry. It's still quite a ways until then, but I know exactly how I want the story to go once I reach a certain point. I would probably be crazy with the updates then (maybe, depending on my schedule), like I was with the Wammy arc. But, until then, I'm wracking my brain on what to do. I haven't really planned this whole thing out when I first started it. I had the beginning in mind and a completely different ending that was still sketchy. The rest I kinda made it up as I went along. But now, I have a concrete ending, but I'm still trying to figure out how to get there. That's what's frustrating me. **

**On the upside, I have a new story (I know I keep coming up with more when I'm not even finished with this one, which is my first fanfic here). I already have the first couple of chapters out too.**

**What fandom is it this time? It is *drum roll*…..Final Fantasy VII! Yes! I also got that game after I got a PS3! However, right now, I think I'll make sure this chapter is posted and then play video games. In case you've haven't figured it out, my video gaming muse came back to me (I'm either listening to music, reading a book, or playing video games in what spare time I have between classes and writing chapters). So, if I seem distracted lately, at least you'll know why.**

**Guh, must stop rambling.**

**So, the story is called Monster. If you are an FF7 fan, I suggest you go take a look. There is a RenoXOC pairing in the story, but I can assure you that the entire main cast will be in it.**

**Well, I've kept you all waiting long enough. Here is the looooong overdue update.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own my OC, June.**

Chapter 31

Matt pulled away as soon as he realized what had happened.

They just stood there for a second looking at each other, not sure of what to say or do. They both knew it was a complete accident, but it was still an awkward situation to be in.

Matt was glad that Mello wasn't there. He would have kicked his ass into the ground.

Matt wasn't even interested in her like that. He would admit that she was cute (he would have to be blind to not see that), but…this was _June_. This was the girl that liked to steal his video games, flip him on his back and prove she was tougher than him, and had once put him in a half-nelson after she lost a couple of rounds in a wrestling video game. She was a nice girl when she wanted to be, but, to him, she was just more like the little sister he never had (a strong little sister, but a sister nonetheless).

While Matt was thinking all of this, June had a different thought process going on after about five seconds of shock.

She…had been interrupted…because some FREAKIN' ASSHOLE COULDN'T WATCH WHERE HE WAS GOING?

She was well aware that the kiss was an accident and that it was awkward. What had stuck out in her mind was the guy that _made_ it an accident.

She turned around to go catch up with said guy, but Matt, who was worried about what she was thinking when she turned around, reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"June…..what are you…."

"I'm just going to have a little chat with the guy that bumped into you."

He knew what she meant by "little chat" and only tightened his grip on her arm a bit. They couldn't afford to bring attention to themselves, and beating up the guy just wasn't worth the time.

"June…I know what you mean by that, and we can't afford to have our asses hauled in by cops just because of your temper."

She turned her head to face him and opened her mouth to say something, but Matt had cut her off, anticipating her words.

"Yes, you do have a short temper. And no, you still can't take two minutes to beat up some random guy that pissed you off. Just let it go."

She frowned at him, clearly not pleased by this but didn't want to keep raising a fuss about it.

"This…never happened."

Matt nodded, relieved that she was willing to put this behind him like he was.

"Agreed."

With that, they made their way down to the end of the block and then went their separate ways to their respective buildings.

….

June snuck her way into the building to make sure that Misa or, even more worrying, Mogi didn't catch her just across the street from them. She hated having to sneak around like that, but she was sure that this wouldn't be necessary soon. Someone had to make a move soon.

Mello's motorcycle was in the alley, which should mean that he was in as well. She just hoped that he wouldn't be as much of an asshole as he had been recently.

She walked into the main room with the intention of crashing on the couch. However, Mello was already sitting on the couch. She could practically feel the anger rolling off of him.

June frowned. What the hell was his problem now?

She shrugged. He was probably being a PMSing man-bitch as always. That was one of the things about him that annoyed her to no end.

Since she didn't feel like having a fight with him, she just crashed on the chair and made no move to try to claim the now unoccupied bed. He should consider himself lucky that she wasn't going to put up a fight because her back was starting to hurt like a bitch (damn the cheap-ass owner who wouldn't spring for something that actually _had_ cushioning).

The chair was just as crappy and wasn't helping her mood at all. She was still a bit pissed at the guy who bumped into Matt. At least nobody they knew saw that. Otherwise, any jackass that decided to come up to them about that would have to deal with her. And she would show no mercy.

Mello didn't look up when he heard the door close. He already knew who was there.

He was a bit surprised when he heard her sit on the chair instead of going to claim the bedroom, especially with how shitty this couch was. He was surprised he didn't hear her complain about it before.

He looked over at her. She was staring off into space with her headphones on. She was either daydreaming or thinking. She had a tendency to use her headphones to block out the rest of the world in order to think (how she could think with so much noise in her ears was beyond him). She was just like Matt with her music as he was with his video games.

From that thought, the image of their kiss popped up into his head. A dark shadow fell over his face at the image. He didn't stay after that. He just left after a moment of shock, not wanting to believe what he saw.

In that instant, he felt several emotions overwhelming him. Anger, hatred, jealousy, betrayal, heartbreak…

Would there be any point in asking you guys which one he settled on as the dominate emotion for that moment?

For those of you who guessed anger (which was probably all of you), you were right.

He felt himself ready to snap at any moment. He just wanted to shoot or strangle someone right now. However, the rational part of his mind that was still functioning at the moment (which was probably a miracle) told him that he needed to take a couple of deep breathes and push the image out of his head before he did something he would regret…again.

Unfortunately, June saw him tense up for no apparent reason and couldn't stop herself from asking.

"What's wrong with you now?"

That was when he snapped.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with _me_? Nothing's wrong with me other than the fact that I'm the only one trying to catch a murderer while you and Matt run off and make-out in the streets as though there wasn't anything wrong with the world."

June gaped at him. She was in shock. Then realization bitch-slapped her across the face.

WHAT THE HELL DID HE JUST SAY?

"…What?" She was so pissed, her tone was quiet. That was the first warning sign that he should have picked up on, but didn't. Instead, he stood up and continued yelling at her.

"Honestly, do you guys even care if Kira wins? You want someone with a warped sense of justice prancing around like he's some kind of king? The guy's practically a second Hitler with the way everyone's going on about a "perfect world" or whatever shit they had been playing on the news! Well I don't!"

June glared at him while he continued ranting. She stood up as well and slowly stepped towards him as he went on.

"…Is that so?" She tried to keep her voice even, but she was starting to lose her control.

"Yes! L is your _brother_! You should want to avenge him more than I do! Instead you went and just all but committed suicide by gambling with a shinigami and running around as though you don't care about what he's done or – "

That was when she lost control. She was normally able to hold out a bit longer than that, but it was Mello's mistake to drag her brother into the fight and even going so far as to say that she didn't care about him.

She punched him right in the jaw. She didn't care about the scar that covered the left half of his face or whether or not she broke his jaw with that punch. All she could think about was the insult he threw at her.

Mello crashed against the couch from the force of her punch. He sat up, rubbing his jaw. Even though she was actually small, she could still through one hell of a punch. He was lucky that she didn't break his jaw just then.

He looked up to see the pure rage in her eyes. It was at that time that the rational part of his mind came back saying he was now shit out of luck.

"You think I don't care?" There was a deadly tone in her voice that even a deaf person would pick up on.

Mello didn't say anything, just stared from his position on the couch.

"You also think that I won't live, do you?"

He froze. Did he actually think that?

No, no, no…she had to live. She was June. She was L's younger sister.

Granted, L got killed, but June, she wouldn't…

"Well, to be frank, I'm not so sure that I will either. I just didn't want to say anything to distract you from the stupid case."

His heart sunk a bit at that. June herself was saying that she wasn't sure. She was the kind of person that would never admit to something like. Her pride wouldn't allow her.

"But don't think for a second that I don't care about L. Why do you think I would put my life on the line like that? I care about L enough to want to try to finish what he started. I even care enough to want all this madness to end anyway."

She turned her back on him. She retrieved her iPod that she abandoned on the chair, but didn't put the headphones on. She didn't feel like listening to music.

"I'm fully aware that I made a suicidal move. But, at least no matter how things end now, at least they'll end." After all, that was what she wanted now. The case, the madness, the killings, the anger, the pain…she wanted them all to end.

She stormed into the bedroom and slammed the door shut. She locked the door and slumped to the floor in front of it.

She wanted to be alone.

**Sorry for the short chapter! I know you guys have been waiting so long for this update, but this just seemed like a good place to stop. I tried to make this interesting by having fun with some of the sentences. Sorry if this chapter was crap. I kind of just sat in front on my computer with the document open until I came up with something.**

**I'll TRY (keyword: try) to update sooner than…two months? As I said, as soon as I get to a certain point, I'll probably go on another mad updating spree. But, as I said, I've been having difficulty getting to that point, so I may still take a while. But until then, please be patient and feel free to check out my other stories. Don't worry. I will not give up on this story! **

**Well, later!**


	33. Chapter 32

**Hello! I'm back! And with the new chapter! I was a bit down by the fact that I only got one review last chapter. It made me a bit nervous. However, I would like to thank Miss Bright for the encouraging review. **

**Which reminds me, I went over some of the more recent chapters and I found that, when I was thanking everyone who reviewed and alerted this story, some of the names got cut off. I would like to apologize for that. I didn't do it, but for some reason, ffdotnet did. So, I'm sorry to those who had been cut out of the acknowledgements. I will double check next time to make sure that mistake doesn't happen again.**

**Well, I bored you long enough. Now for something interesting (and I don't mean the disclaimer).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note and…blah, blahblah, blah, blah…June is mine! *Huff* Is this necessary for EVERY chapter? Oh! I also own the surprise guest in this chapter!**

Chapter 32

A couple of days had passed and June hadn't said a word to Mello. In fact, she just spent her whole time either in the one bedroom, or she would walk out, ignoring him completely and just walk around LA until she needed to meet up with Misa.

Stupid Mello. Why did he have to insist on being such a jackass? June was still pissed at him. What the hell gave him the right to blow up on her about a freaking accident? What the hell was he doing spying on them anyway? Whatever his reason was, he would definitely suck at being a spy. He was the only person there who didn't see the accident part, just the part where Matt and June's faces came into contact with each other.

Arrggh! This was frustrating her! In fact, she was so pissed that she didn't see a person when she walked around a corner and then ran into them.

"Sorry…" Yeah, she was pissed, but if she took out her frustrations on an innocent bystander like that, that would call the cops', and possibly Kira's, attention. Besides, she was trying to prove Matt wrong about her temper (even though he couldn't see her at the moment). So she was going to be the bigger person and apologize.

When she looked up, she saw a familiar face.

"Wait, haven't I met you before?"

The person was a tall guy with dark hair. But, what made June think that she had seen him before was his bright green eyes.

"Oh, wait! I saw you at that bar. Your name was…..June, right?"

Now June remembered where she saw him. Back when Misa was trying to set her up with a random guy in a bar.

"Yes, and you're….Danny?"

He smiled.

"Yep! I'm just glad I got your name right. I normally suck at remembering names."

June nodded, feeling a bit irritated. It wasn't that she had a problem with the guy. It was just that she was still mad at Mello for his accusations and his jackassness (she didn't care if that wasn't word before, but it was now).

Apparently, June was having a hard time hiding her anger because Danny frowned a moment before speaking again.

"Are you okay? You seem…mad or irritated about something."

June sighed.

"I'm fine….ish." It was more of a quirk or something to her to not outright lie. For some reason, she just didn't like deceiving others too much, and she just wanted to be able to know that she could somehow just say that she didn't necessarily lie. She didn't understand it herself. All she understood was that she had a better poker face when there was some grain of truth in the midst of a lie that wasn't really a lie. Did that make sense? She should probably stop thinking before she ended up giving herself a mindfuck.

At that moment, June learned something interesting about Danny. He was one of those people who wouldn't let something like this slide.

"I'm not buying it. Come on. What's wrong? You can talk to me."

She gave him a slight glare.

"It's nothing. Now, I need to get going."

She tried walking past him, but he just blocked her path.

"Come on. I want to help you. So, what's wrong?"

June gave him a scrutinizing stare.

"…..I think I better start with the question 'why do you care?' This isn't really any of your business. And most people wouldn't care what a stranger's problem might be."

Danny scratched the back of his head and looked down. June spotted something that looked familiar in his eyes, but she couldn't place where she had seen it before.

"I guess you're right. But, I believe if I had the ability to help at least one person that I should at least try to help them."

"…There's something more personal to this, is there?"

June wasn't trained by L and went to Wammy's for nothing. She could see on his face that there was more than what he was saying.

He didn't look back up, but only nodded.

"Hey, why don't we grab something to eat and we can talk then?"

June was about to say no, but her traitorous stomach had let out a loud grumble at that moment, making her incapable of denying that she was hungry.

_Damn that Mello. Dumbass making me so angry that it's causing hunger to sneak up on me like that._

"…You won't just let this drop if I turn that offer down, would you?"

He shook his head.

Damn persistent little –

"…..Fine. But don't expect me to actually talk about whatever my problem is."

He only nodded, as though he didn't believe it.

…

Fifteen minutes later found them both sitting inside a café, waiting for their orders. The place wasn't so packed that they couldn't hear each other, but it also wasn't so empty so that everyone else could hear what they were talking about.

"So spill, what is it that makes you determined to help out a troubled stranger?"

He looked a bit hesitant to start his story, but he spoke up after about a moment of silence.

"Well, a couple of years ago, I had a friend. She was actually kind of like you. She never wore any make-up because she said it was a waste of time and never saw a point in it. She never wore anything girly, so she was always thought of as one of the guys when she wasn't….."

"How do you know I'm like this all the time? How do you know that this isn't just an illusion?"

He shrugged.

"I kind of figured when I saw you with that friend of yours. You seemed a bit uncomfortable hanging out with someone who was obviously girly."

Great, so it _was_ noticeable.

"That still doesn't explain why you want to hear my problems out."

Danny sighed.

"She was also a bit stubborn when it came to her problems. After hanging out with her for a while, I was able to tell when she was having a problem and was trying to hide it from me."

Believe it or not, June was actually starting to pay a lot more attention to his story. For some reason, this sounded a bit familiar.

"When I tried asking her about it, she just said that it wasn't a big deal and that I shouldn't be concerned about it. I couldn't tell if she did it out of pride or if she just didn't want to bother other people with her own problems."

June could have sworn that she had heard this somewhere before.

"I was only able to step in once or twice because I was there when the incidents would start. One time was when some arrogant bastard tried to make her feel like shit because he couldn't stand how she managed to stay above him. I was able to step in and break the guy's nose. She didn't outright thank me, but she did look a bit relieved, which is why I never understood why she didn't come to me for help after that. It seemed like all the bastards and assholes knew how to find her and try to make her life hell. I wanted to help her, but she would never let me. Even though she always came out fine from these battles, I always worried about when something would become too much for her."

June was starting to feel uncomfortable. It was at this point that the waitress brought their orders. It was just a couple of sandwiches and sodas. Danny continued after the waitress left.

"Then, her twin brother was sent to the hospital. She had an ex-boyfriend – well, technically, he was never her boyfriend – that was out looking for her and he tried to find her through her twin."

June raised an eyebrow.

"An ex that wasn't an ex?"

Danny nodded.

"As I said, he was never even her boyfriend from her point of view. He wasn't from mine either. He was just someone her parents once tried to set her up with."

Danny saw the look on June's face and quickly explained.

"They didn't know what he was like. They didn't mean for her or her brother to get hurt. They just couldn't see that he was putting up an act. She, however, could detect bullshit from a mile away. But…..that didn't stop him. He seemed convinced that they actually had something and he was determined to 'claim' her."

June never even met the guy and she still wanted to beat the jackass. She just hated jackasses like that. Like the criminals you would see on Law and Order. They pissed her off.

"Well, at first, she was able to brush him off. And then she started beating him shitless. That girl knew how to fight. And then….."

His eyes darkened. June could see that they were getting to the point he obviously didn't want to relieve.

"It was after her brother was sent to the hospital. He went into a coma and she went there everyday to check on him…..and to protect him."

"Protect him?"

Danny nodded.

"That guy…..he was waiting for an opportunity to strike. Her brother meant a lot to her, so she would have been damned if she let the bastard finish him off."

He was silent for a moment. They were getting to the point when things went from bad to worse. June could feel it.

"He was waiting for her in her brother's hospital room. I didn't know what he said to her at the time, but she looked shaken when I joined her and saw him there. I moved in to protect her, but the damage was already done. He left without another word, and I could tell by the look on her face that something was wrong."

He was silent for a few minutes. He just stared at his untouched sandwich. Apparently, he lost his appetite. Now that June bothered to look down at her plate, she saw that she didn't touch hers either. But, she wasn't hungry anymore.

After what felt like an eternity, he spoke up again.

"She had never once let words affect her so much before. She once told me that someone who had a loud mouth that spewed nothing but crap a) didn't have the muscles to back up their words and b) were not worth the time to fight with. But, I think she only applied that when people tried to talk her down and didn't involve her friends in the matter. Once they did that, they were in for a world of pain."

He smiled sadly, as though remembering some of those moments.

"Well, I tried to help her. Tell her that the guy was nothing more than a bastard determined to make her life hell and that I would be there to help her out. But….I should have been more assertive. I can't help but feel that if I did something more, then things would have turned out differently."

June shrugged.

"Hindsight is always 20/20." She knew that one too well.

He nodded in agreement.

"Well, she said that she was going to be okay. That she wasn't going to let him bother her or her friends anymore. I was a bit worried about how she said that. She acted like her normal self, but it seemed like she forced it. I tried to convince her to let me in on what she was thinking, but she just told me not to worry. That everything would be fine."

There was another moment's silence. June had a feeling she knew where this story was going.

"…..The next thing I knew, I was reading her note while the paramedics carted her body out of her room."

June felt her heart drop. She wasn't sure if it showed on her face or not, but she didn't particularly care. She knew how it felt to lose someone close to you, and it was a bitch.

"She never really made a whole lot of friends when we were growing up. She would occasionally make one or two every now and then, but they all eventually left, either because they moved or they just stopped talking to her or they decided to listen to the assholes that tried to torment her and they decided to join them. Her brother and I were the only constants in her life. She clung onto us and prayed that we wouldn't try to make her let go. That bastard zoned in on that and had threatened both me and her brother – who was still in a coma – if she continued to reject him. Normally, that would only make her go batshit crazy on the guy and then he would have needed an iron lung…..but….he said something that stopped her cold in her tracks, that made her so shaken by the time I reached her. He said that the only reason we would get hurt was because of her. He tried to pin all of our pain and problems on her."

That struck a nerve in June. Now she wanted to go find out who the bastard was and made sure he got that iron lung. But, she should listen to the rest of his story.

"Now, it was true that her brother and I got our share of the shit people were throwing at us because they thought she was weird and whatnot, but it was nothing we could never handle. And the only reason he got her brother was because he used a dirty trick and snuck up on him. We are both decent enough fighters to be able to handle the guy. But….she was so afraid of what would happen to us. She didn't want us to be in pain or to be in trouble. That guy scared her so much with that one insult that, for once, she was trapped in a corner with no way out that she didn't think would lead to us being in pain. She always wanted to protect us because we were all she had."

They were silent once more, their cold food and drinks long forgotten. Hell, June barely remembered why she was there in the first place.

June spoke up after a while. There was one thing she had to know.

"Do you…..hate her for doing that?"

Danny sighed, and didn't answer her for another moment. He looked down at his plate.

"I hated the fact that she wouldn't reach out to me for help. I hated the fact that she tried to resolve the issue on her own. I also hated that she tried to protect us when we could protect each other. She had never let me try to protect her if she could get away with it. I hated all of that."

June was starting to feel sick and she couldn't pinpoint why.

Then, he looked up at her with a sad smile.

"But…..I could never hate her. While I didn't like how she would try to do things alone, that stubborn nature of hers was just a part of her. It was one of those things you don't like about a person but at the same time you wouldn't change them for the world because then they wouldn't be themselves."

June was a bit surprised about that answer. She wasn't really expecting it. Was it really possible to forgive someone for all of that so easily?

Then she remembered something.

"What happened to the bastard?"

Danny sighed.

"Her brother woke up two days after her suicide. When I told him what happened, we decided to visit the ass. All I'll say about this is that somewhere, there is a shark puking his guts out because he ate something rotten."

June decided to ask nothing more about it. That way, if need be, she would be able to pass a lie detector test.

"So…..this is why you care about other people's problems. You're afraid of history repeating itself."

He nodded.

"I figured if I'd be more assertive, I could prevent tragedies like that. I mean, there is always collateral damage with this kind of stuff. That and, as I said, you kind of remind me of her. I'm definitely not going to let your case slide."

They were silent for a while. They finally decided to just leave money for the uneaten food on the table and go for a walk. They felt that they had been there too long.

They were just wandering around aimlessly in the streets when Danny spoke up again.

"Well, I told you my story, now tell me yours."

**Well, how did you feel about the surprise guest? Did you expect to see Danny again?**

**Well, either way, the whole tragic story I wrote here isn't anything that has happened to me or my friends or family in real life (unless you only count the suicide part and nothing more. Damn bullies picking on my sister's friend and even throwing a metal beam at him). I am pissed at them, in case you couldn't tell.**

**Well, anyway, that whole story is very, very loosely based on a story that I've started writing (an original one, not a fanfic). **

**Well, anyway, I will get back to the case (and eventually the climax) soon enough. There is a method to my madness. I felt that this was necessary.**

**Now, please leave a review! They motivate me! **


	34. Chapter 33

**I'm back! I don't have any pre-chapter stuff to say.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own June and Danny.**

Chapter 33

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"Why not?"

"Because it'll sound petty and pathetic compared to your story. Makes me feel a bit like a whiny, stubborn child."

"Well, you're a stubborn person, aren't you?"

"….." June chose not to answer, mainly because it was true.

She and Danny were aimlessly wandering around LA with no destination in mind.

"Come on. I can't help you if you don't tell me what your problem is."

She didn't ask for his help. She wasn't keen on asking him for help. Besides, what was the point when there was so little time to solve the case, let alone sort out all of her personal issues?

She sighed. It seemed like this guy was going to be stubborn as well. She didn't have all day to waste on this. She had to meet up with Misa later. So, very grudgingly, she decided to give him a summary, a mere _gist_ if she could manage it.

"One of my friends has been nothing but an asshole lately. He's just…..ugh! He's been pissing me off with all of his accusations and his overall attitude. I can't even stand to be in the same room as him anymore."

"And what exactly has he accused you of?" Okay, she might not be able to give just a gist of the situation.

"I was out with another friend of mine because we got dragged on this double date with that girl I was with at the bar. Now, we consider each other as nothing more than siblings, but she was convinced that it was more than that and I wasn't able to talk her out of the double date with how drunk she was. So we went, we left, we were still nothing but pseudo-siblings to each other. But, on the way back while we were talking about stuff, this random guy bumped into him and he fell against me. That probably wouldn't have been a big deal if it wasn't for the fact that we had accidentally kissed each other when he fell against me."

Danny was nodding, showing that he was following her so far.

"Um, how did…."

"Please don't ask. It was awkward enough as it was and I intend to put it behind me. Now, this all probably wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for the fact that my other friend saw it happen, didn't stick around to question it, and then accuses me of not caring about my brother because I'm too busy doing stupid stuff to finish what he started. That bastard…." She was mumbling at this point. Danny remained silent, not asking any more questions.

Instead, the two of them just kept walking. Finally, he spoke up.

"It sounds like to me that he's jealous and doesn't want to admit it."

June stopped in her tracks.

"…What?" She was staring at him with wide eyes. Danny rolled his eyes and stopped walking as well.

"I'm saying that he likes you and was probably hurt from the misunderstanding from that little incident you and your other friend had. However, he just doesn't want to admit it, so he was quick to insult you."

June scoffed and looked down.

"What makes you say that? There's no way."

"Well, that's what it sounds like to me. Why don't you seem willing to believe that?"

She looked away from him.

"There's just no way. I'm a coward. A very stupid coward according to him." Why was she still talking? Was she really this desperate for help?

"Did he actually ever call you that?"

"…..No." Now that she thought about it, he had only ever accused her of being stupid. But that didn't mean that he didn't think that she was a coward, either.

"See, I'm pretty sure that's just in your head."

"And how do you know that? Are you some kind of long distance mind reader? Hmpf. He doesn't care about me."

Danny sighed. She was definitely as stubborn as his friend. But, luckily for him, this gave him an idea of how to handle her.

"Well, if I had to guess, I would say that you like this so-called asshole in return."

Wait, what did he say?

_Don'tblushdon'tblushdon'tblushdon'tblushdon'tblush….._But, despite the fact that she kept telling herself not to blush, Danny did, in fact, see her cheeks turn pink. Aha! He was right!

"What's this? Am I seeing a blush on this tough, stubborn girl?"

"S-Shut up!" Shit. That made her blush deepen. Oh, why did this have to happen?

She didn't li…great, she couldn't even lie to herself. Since when did her life become a freaking soap opera? She didn't recall going through this much crap when she was a kid.

Danny only smiled at her.

"That only confirms it further. You actually do like the guy. May I ask how long?"

Oh, he was pushing his luck big time! Had it been Matt or Mello annoying her, she would have kicked their asses by now.

"I've known him since we were kids. I can't say exactly when I started…..Whoa, whoa, whoa! What am I saying?"

"That you like him." She was on the verge of punching him now. She shook her head.

"Look, your evidence is circumstantial at best," it was, wasn't it? "What makes you think that I like him anyway?"

Danny looked down at her wrist before pointing it out.

"Did he give you that bracelet there?"

She frowned and looked at the silver bracelet herself before eyeing him with a wary look in her eyes.

"…Yes. He gave it to me for my birthday a few years back."

Danny smiled again.

"If you really hated him like you're trying to tell me, then would you be wearing that?"

Cue blush. What was worse was that he was right. Damn him! Where the hell did he get his insight?

"….I never said that I hated him."

"I know. I was just hoping to get you to cut the act." Grrrrrrr…

"So, what were you going to do about the problem? Were you going to yell and kick his ass or were you going to avoid him?"

"…" She was not going to say anything. She was surprised that she said as much as she did. She used to be a quiet child. Now she couldn't seem to shut the hell up. What was with this guy?

"Well, either way, I say what you should do is be the bigger person and try to reason with him before you do anything rash."

Too late. She had already done something that was beyond rash that no one would ever believe…..She had gambled for the first time in her life.

"Well, things aren't just that simple. I have something I need to do before I can think about that."

"Really, what?" Shit, she was hoping that he wouldn't ask.

"I can't tell you. I can only say that it won't be a good time to try to fix anything until I finish what was started. That's all I will say about it."

Danny only nodded. He was a bit surprised that he got so much out of her in the first place.

"Well, that's okay. Besides, I think I kept you long enough. You have something you need to do, don't you?"

She blinked at him before it fully sunk in that he was letting her go now.

"Oh, yeah. I need to jump right on it if I'm to make up for all the stupid stuff I did."

Danny nodded. They reached the intersection that, after inspecting her surroundings more, she realized was where they had run into each other earlier. Did he do this on purpose?

"Well, hopefully I'll see you around. Take care." He started walking off in one direction.

June nodded.

"Yeah, you too." June started walking off in the direction of where she was supposed to meet Misa for today. Thinking back, Danny was actually a good guy. Yeah, a chunk of his past was hell, but he seemed to have used that to gain quite a bit of insight. She actually kind of hoped that she would be able to see him again as well. Yep, he was alright in her –

"And don't forget to make nice with your crush!"

Was it too late to go back to punch him in the face?

…..

When June was about to go by Misa's building (it was in route to the place she was supposed to meet Misa), she was greeted with the sight of Mogi and Misa loading baggage into a taxi cab. Okay, Mogi was loading the taxi and Misa was standing by watching. She was also the first one to notice June heading towards them.

"Hey June!" Misa waved at her as she started walking towards June.

"Hey, what's going on here?"

"Oh, well, I was just about to call you about that. Something came up and I have to go back to Japan now."

This caught June's attention.

"Really? What happened? Nothing terrible, I hope…."

Misa shook her head at her almost frantically.

"Oh no! Nothing bad happened! It's just that Light has work to do back in Japan and, uh….Misa has a couple of possible contracts that I have waiting for me back there anyway."

June nodded.

"I see. Well I hope you have a safe trip then. Hopefully we'll see each other in the future."

Misa nodded.

"Yes! Misa hopes so too. If you ever need anything, or just want to talk, you can always call me," then she leaned in to whisper in June's ear, "I can also give you the hook up to some parties and maybe even behind the scenes if Misa gets another movie contract."

June laughed.

"Yeah, well, take care."

"You too!"

They shook hands and June wished Mogi a safe trip as well.

Just as June was walking away, Mogi's cell phone went off. Mogi took a look at Misa to see that she was going over in her head a list of things she packed to make sure she didn't forget anything. June was out of ear-shot by now. He looked down to see that Aizawa was calling him. He flipped it open.

_Mogi, are you alone?_

"No, just a minute."

He turned to Misa.

"Can you go ahead and wait in the cab? I have to take a call."

Misa nodded.

"Sure Motchi!"

As soon as the backdoor of the cab closed, Mogi brought the cell phone back to his ear.

"Okay, now, did you find something?"

_Sort of. Remember what Near told us about the third kid from Wammy's?_

"Yes." He remembered it clearly.

_Mogi and Aizawa were standing up to leave when Near suddenly spoke up again._

"_Oh, before you go, there is one more thing that you should know."_

_They both eyed the albino kid warily for a second._

"_What is it?"_

_Near didn't turn to face them. He just went back to his dice._

"_Mello and I are not the only ones who are after Kira. There is a third person from Wammy's who has made their involvement in the case clear to us."_

"_Huh? Who is it?"_

"_This person has more of a personal vendetta against Kira. Kira has killed someone close to them and it should go without saying that this person wants Kira gone. This person also had something the rest of us didn't have."_

"_What was that?" What distinguish this person from the other kids?_

"_This person had ties to the real L. None of the others ever knew this. I didn't even know until after L's death. I believe that they're privy to information about the Death Note. Maybe more information than we currently have. That has yet to be determined, but this person has started moving recently and is hard to track down."_

"_So, what's his name?"_

_Near turned around to look at them with a flat look._

"_I only know this person's alias. However, I won't tell you who this person is."_

_Mogi and Aizawa both frowned at him, getting frustrated._

"_But, you should be able to deduce who from Wammy's could be this person. Actually, if I had a picture of this person, I would have given it to you so that you could go from there. But I don't have such a picture, so you'll have to go with a sketch if Wammy's can provide you with one."_

"_Wait."_

_Both Near and Aizawa looked at Mogi as he spoke up for the first time._

"_If you believe that Kira is someone from the Task Force, then why would you willingly give us a picture? Aren't you afraid that Kira will just kill him after seeing the face and using the second Kira to see the name?"_

_Aizawa gasped. Mogi made a good point._

_They both stared at Near as the corner of his mouth twitched into a small smirk._

"_There's no need to worry about that. Kira can't touch this person."_

"_Huh? What do you mean?" How could the Death Note not touch this person?_

"_Kira cannot kill this person through the Death Note. In fact, you can go ahead and tell L about this person. There is no way that Kira would be able to resist to try to find this person. If he heard about someone he couldn't kill, that would hopefully get him to move out into the open more. If he wants this person dead, he would have to be more direct about it."_

_Neither one of them could believe it. How could such a person exist?_

_Near turned away from them again._

"_That is all I have to tell you. You can go now."_

Yes. He remembered. Aizawa said that he was going to look into Wammy's again to look through the list of kids who were trained to be the next L.

"Did you find out who it was?"

_I think I have. There was one person who seemed most likely to fit Near's description._

Mogi's eyes widened.

"Well?"

_There was only one kid who had family outside of the orphanage. An older brother from what I've been told. Roger told me that he had been killed years ago by Kira. He wouldn't say anything about the ties to L, but I figured that the brother could be the tie to L._

So far, the description did fit.

"Were you able to get a name or physical description?"

_Yes. The one we want to look for is an 18 year old girl with dark blonde hair who goes by the alias, June._

Mogi gasped. He whipped his head around in the direction he saw Misa's friend walk off, but she was already gone.

**Looks like the secret's out! What will Mogi and Aizawa do with this information? What will happen between June and Mello? Will we see Danny again? Stay tune for the next chapter to find out!**

**Next chapter may or may not come out soon due to spring break being next week! At least, my spring break. My sister's spring break doesn't line up with mine, so I may be able to just write out more chapters while watching the dogs and playing video games and reading manga. **

**Well, I'm off to sleep. As usual, leave a review to tell me what you think. I feel that this may have been a bit rush (probably because I want to get this out before I go to sleep). If so, sorry about that. But, we are starting to get closer to the point where I'll probably do nothing but write.**

**Later!**


	35. Chapter 34

'**Ello! I've been struck by inspiration and have come up with improved ideas for later in the story and what happens now in the story. I'm glad I've reread some of the manga. **

**Spring break is now over (sad face), but I only have a little over a month of classes left before finals. So, I have a little time before I really need to hit the books and, unfortunately, lay off the writing. On the upside, after finals, I have a month in which I have to keep up the writing until I go to…..HAWAII! Yes! For two weeks! Now, I know it's still March, but this is just a rough outline of my upcoming schedule. If I'm not done with this story by finals, then expect the story to come to an end in May. Now that I said that, I'll probably be lousy with keeping the deadline (that's my luck). This outline also applies to my other stories as well.**

**So, if I disappear for a while, don't panic. I'll be back. I'll just have to fight my way out of a pile of books, study guides, and notes (and getting paper cuts along the way).**

**Oh, and Im-Ina-Tent, the answer to your question is now. Ah, nothing like redundancy. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I am not smart enough to come up with the kind of twists that happened at the end of the series. I do own June.**

Chapter 34

_Mogi, what's the matter?_

Mogi snapped out of it after hearing Aizawa's voice. He couldn't believe it. This whole time, one of L's heirs had been so close and they never realized it.

"That person you just describe, I think I've already met her."

"What?"

"What? What did he say?" Matsuda was suddenly by Aizawa's side, as though trying to hear what Mogi was saying.

They were already back in Japan with headquarters now being operational. Everyone was minding their own business when Aizawa said that he had some new information about the new person in the investigation. Aizawa had told them all after he came back from New York and his encounter with Near.

At first, he wasn't going to tell them. He wanted to see just how much he could learn about the person and see just what this person was doing all this time, but he figured that Near had a point. Kira wouldn't resist a target that he couldn't kill, especially if they were against him.

So he told them. Matsuda and Ide were shocked, but that wasn't overly surprising. It wasn't every day that you heard about a person who was immune to a supernatural notebook. That was if you even heard about a supernatural notebook in the first place, which was unlikely.

Now, he had gathered the information on all of the Wammy's kids, and used deductive reasoning to narrow down the list until only one seemed to make the cut. He had told everyone about his findings after they had settled down at HQ.

And now, he was telling Mogi about his findings, only to hear that Mogi had already met this person.

_Misa had acquired a friend not too long ago. She seemed harmless enough. But she also fits that description. She also called herself June._

Aizawa's eyes widened.

"What is it? Did something happen?" Matsuda was starting to get persistent now.

It was silent for a few moments while Mogi was explaining the situation to Aizawa. Light waited patiently to hear what was wrong. He wondered if it had anything to do with that girl. Aizawa had told him what Near said about her before he went to investigate Wammy's. How would someone be able to elude his power? That was impossible. Was this just some trick Near was trying to get him out into the open? If it was, then did that mean that he viewed the girl as disposable? He wanted to know, but he would have to wait until after he heard what Mogi had to say.

"Okay. Thanks. I'll relay it to everyone else. See you back here." He hung up and looked up at everyone else before saying anything.

"Mogi says that he may have seen the girl in question. Apparently, Misa made a friend while staying in LA who went by the name June. She never gave out a last name or anything. She had also mentioned a brother before, but she never said anything about him being dead or alive."

Everyone tensed.

"What? She was actually so close and we never even realized it?" Matsuda was the first to break the silence.

"Well, we didn't even know the gender of the person Near was talking about, so we couldn't have known." Ide was talking sense.

Light suddenly remembered the double date that Misa kept bugging him about a while ago. Had he gone, he would have known the face of this person. Damn it!

"Do we know where she is right now?" If she was keeping tabs on Misa by being her friend, then she couldn't be too far from her.

"Mogi said she left a while ago after Misa told her that she was heading back to Japan. If she plans on keeping tabs on Misa, she'll probably follow them here."

"So we may see her around! Oh, but Mogi's the only one out of us who has seen her…."

Light stood up, interrupting Matsuda.

"If she's going to follow them here, then I say let her. If we find her, we can catch her and convince her to join us in the investigation. According to Near, she wants nothing more than for Kira to be gone. She could be helpful to us, especially if she has information about the Death Note that we might not have. I would also like to know just what her ties to L were."

"Huh? But didn't Aizawa say that it was the brother?"

Aizawa turned his head towards Matsuda.

"That was my assumption. Roger wouldn't say anything about her connection to L, so I can't be sure."

"Anyway, it's best if we recruit her before someone like Mello does," Light said.

"O-Oh. Yeah! That would be terrible." Matsuda nodded enthusiastically.

Ide nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, as far as we know, she hasn't done anything wrong or even touched a Death Note. I would like it if the kid doesn't do anything rash. I mean, she's already lost her family. There's no need for her to become a criminal like him."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Light, however, only wanted her to stay away from Mello and Near so that she wouldn't have the chance to tell them more about the Death Note. He didn't know how credible this was, since it came from Near, but he couldn't take the chance. If she did know something, just how much did she know? Did she know anything about the ownership rules?

He couldn't take the chance. But, he was skeptical that she couldn't be touched by the Death Note. He was sure Near was just baiting him and using the girl as a disposable pawn. How despicable. As soon as the girl was in their custody, he would make it so that he could send a picture to Mikami and have her disposed of.

That would be the end of the possible threat.

Aizawa watched Light as he took the news, but he couldn't tell what he was thinking with his back to him.

He really hoped that Near knew what he was doing when he practically handed over one of his allies. But then, he said that she was hard to track down. Was he hoping that they would find her for him? That could be it. He didn't like the thought of being used like that, but he preferred that she would get in contact with Near rather than Mello.

But first, they had to find her. Since she had been seen around Misa, did that mean that she knew about the evidence that linked to her as being the second Kira? He supposed that wasn't too surprising. If she had a link to L, then she probably had access to all of L's notes at one point or another.

He wondered, did that mean that she suspected Light to be Kira as well?

…

June was now at the airport with Mello in line at the security check point. After Misa and Mogi's taxi had left, she went back to their building across the street from Misa's building and had, quite literally, kicked Mello off of the couch.

He was about to yell at her when she said that Misa and Mogi left for the airport. A quick call from Matt confirmed that the Taskforce had cleared out of the hotel that they were using as headquarters.

So, here they were now, 45 minutes later after hastily packing and checking with Matt to make sure that he was getting a later flight.

June always hated airports. She didn't mind the flying too much. It was faster than a car (or, in this case, boat) and she was normally able to sleep through the flights easily. It was the airport that annoyed her. First, there was security. Yeah, she did get that it was necessary and all that, but she didn't like standing in line for over an hour or two, emptying her pockets, making sure there was nothing in her bag that security would flip out on (which reminded her, how was Mello going to sneak the gun on board?), and then there was the one time she was randomly searched, which was a pain. Not to mention that flights had a tendency to be delayed or canceled on her, so she was typically at an airport about at least two hours longer than she should have been. If her iPod battery dies, torturing Mello was going to be her entertainment while waiting for the flight.

To put it simply, her conclusion was: flying wasn't bad, but the airports typically annoy the hell out of her. Sometimes, it was just easier to drive to places (except when you had to go to a different continent).

Finally, after what seemed like too much time to June, they made it through security. She had yet to figure out how Mello snuck the gun through because she knew that he still had it. She made a mental note to ask about that later when they weren't people who would go into a panic about that around.

For once, a flight that she was about to take was not delayed. This was a rarity itself.

But they still had a few minutes before they started boarding the plane. She looked at the piece of paper that was in her hand. She had noticed it in her pocket before going through security when she was making sure she didn't have any change in her pockets.

On the paper were a phone number and a message that said "For whenever you just want to talk". It didn't take her long to figure out whose number this was. She was still wondering how the hell he snuck it into her pocket. Or even, when did he have the time to write it out? Honestly, he was a bit weird to her. How the hell was a stranger able to make her, of all people, talk? This was a mystery for another day…if there was going to be anymore days.

But, now was not the time to dwell on such details.

She put the paper back into her pocket and looked over at Mello. She thought about what Danny said.

…How was she supposed to reason with him? He was worse than her when it came to temperaments. At least, he used to…wait, no. He still was, considering recent events.

She supposed that she should try to start somewhere…..

She sighed. He was clearly still mad at her. So what should someone do when faced with someone who was pissed at you?

"Were you ever told about the reason I was sent to Wammy's?"

Bring up a completely different topic to distract them from their anger. At least, that was what she thought one should do in a situation like this. If they went back to the topic that started the fight, airport security would be called on them and they would miss the flight.

"Huh?" The question was completely random to Mello. Why would she be asking that now? He guessed that L didn't tell her that he told others about why she was at Wammy's.

But, before he could answer her, the announcement to start boarding the plane came up. June, instead of waiting for his answer, stood up and went to file into the plane with the other passengers. She decided that they would finish this on the plane.

Mello followed her, confused and already getting frustrated at her. He was not going to let this drop. He was going to see what her train of thought was.

Eventually, they both got on the plane and took their seats. However, June showed no sign of paying him any attention as she listened to her iPod and looked out the window (she called the window seat) as everyone else filed into coach with them.

He decided to wait patiently as everyone else took their seats and put their carry-on bags away.

Finally, the stewardess said to shut off all electronics, making June to put away the iPod.

She didn't say anything until the plane was heading down the runway.

"Well?"

Mello narrowed his eyes at her.

"Well what?" He wasn't going to make it that easy for her.

She gave him a look that said "You know what."

"Were you ever told?"

He stared at her for a minute before answering.

"…..Yeah. L actually told me and Matt once. It was after you were there for a month. Someone had attempted to kidnap you, right?"

June looked out the window again.

"I didn't know that L told you that. But, it's true. My identity had been compromised somehow. I'm not really sure how, but someone found out that I was connected to L and tried to kidnap me."

There was actually a bit more to that story, but she was going to wait a moment before revealing that much.

"Who was it? And how did they find out that you were connected to L?"

June didn't look at him as she remained silent for a moment before answering. Her answer, however, would surprise him.

"It's actually my fault that he found out, even though I still don't know how he figured it out….."

"Figured what out?"

She sighed as the memory came back to her.

_An eight year old girl was walking around LA with her two bodyguards. But, as far as anyone else knew, they were her "parents". Try as she might, she just couldn't sit still in front of a computer for long periods of time like her brother could. So, occasionally, he would let her out with bodyguards of his choosing. _

_They were normally ex-cops or something of the like, so his choice for today was interesting to her._

_They were walking around the park. The girl could see the other kids playing around on the swing set and jungle gym. However, she never approached them because she was nervous. She had never played with someone around her age before._

_Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a mop of messy black hair and a white, long-sleeved shirt._

_She ran off after him without thinking. She was just excited and curious. She wondered what he was doing here. He said that he was busy with a case. Maybe he changed his mind and was looking for her. _

_Her guardians weren't aware of what she had done until she was out of their sights. But, she didn't care. She was too busy catching up to the guy she had seen. The guy who looked just like….._

"_Brother!" She was instructed to never say her brother's name in public. If they were seen together, she was to refer to him as her brother and nothing more._

_She was close enough that she caught his attention, but she faltered in her steps as she saw his face. More specifically, his eyes. _

_They were not the dark eyes that she was accustomed to seeing. They were bright, red, and overly intrigued with the space above her head. _

**Yes, I have brought back that little story! Who here saw that coming? If you can't guess who this is at the end of the chapter, then too bad! I will not mention him by name until the next chapter. But, I'm pretty sure everybody knows who June found. At least all of the die-hard Death Note fans (*coughs and points to self*) I will admit to being at least one of them. **

**Well, I will try to get back to this soon. Anyone here who has read my Bleach story, I will be getting back to that soon as well! I looked at the last date I updated and panicked. I've kept that story waiting too long. **

**Okay, as usual, reviews are welcome! Later! **


	36. Chapter 35

**And I am back! I know I said that I was going to get back to Bleach soon, but…..the first few chapters, especially the first chapter, made me cringe. I know that it was the second story that I started and that a lot of people seem to like it, but I feel that I need to improve the beginning a bit just because it now bugs me.**

**So sorry if an update for that is postponed, if you're reading this and waiting ever-so-patiently for that overdue update. I WILL get it out. Just after I fix some things.**

**Well, that was all I had to say, but you guys are reading this because you want to read a Death Note fic, so here is the Death Note chapter that you wanted.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own jack squat! Except for June! **

Chapter 35

_The girl stood there, frozen. While he looked similar to her brother, he was very much NOT her brother. No, her brother didn't have creepy red eyes that was scrutinizing her face and above her head for some reason._

_She didn't like this. She didn't like this ominous feeling she was getting from this person. She wanted to get away from here…..fast._

"_There you are!" The girl turned around to see the woman, the one she was told was called "Wedy". The man, "Aiber", was right behind her. The girl felt relieved that her bodyguards had found her. Now they could take her away from this creepy guy who looked disturbingly too much like her brother._

_She looked back at the brother imposter to see that he was staring intently at her bodyguards' faces. To be more accurate, he was focused on the space above their heads when she observed him more carefully. He was staring right above her head as well when he saw her. Why? What was so interesting about the empty space just above her head?_

_Before she could give it any thought, Wedy took her by the hand and they started walking away from him. _

_Shortly after the encounter, she asked to be taken back home. She wanted to be next to her brother. On the way back, she kept looking over her head, as though she was afraid that the imposter might follow her._

June was silent for a while after explaining her first encounter with the only other person to have scared her in her life.

Mello sat in his seat as he digested the information. He would get that she would have chased after a look-alike without thinking, but she didn't reveal her name or even her brother's name. So how could her relation to L have been compromised?

"Exactly how did that compromise your identity? People mistake other people for someone they know all the time."

June looked out the window of the plane, not answering for a minute.

"My identity was compromised because the man knew exactly _who_ he was supposed to look like. This man that I ran into by chance was in fact BB, Beyond Birthday."

Mello tensed. He had heard of B. Everyone at Wammy's had heard of B. L's previous heir.

"I called him 'Brother', and just by doing that, he was able to speculate that I had close ties to L. Someone that he could use as leverage to beat my brother with. I didn't know who the man was when I met him. I just knew that I had an ominous feeling in my gut when he looked at me with those eyes."

Mello sat silently sat there as he listened. Suddenly, a thought had hit him. If B was going to use June against L, did that mean he was going to kill her? The thought made his stomach clenched uncomfortably. As much as he was able to sympathize with B, he could never forgive someone who would want to hurt June.

"This was before I knew about Wammy's and all the kids there who were training to replace my brother. He was still hoping that I would accept the position as his heir. But, it still scared me. The way he looked at me. I couldn't shake the feeling that it was like he was trying to see through me. Like he could see who I really was if he looked hard enough. I wanted to get as far away from him as possible and hoped that I would never see him again. I kept trying to tell myself that the fear was irrational and not worth another thought, but I couldn't shake off the feeling for a long time."

Mello was having a hard time believing that she was actually admitting to him that she was scared of something for the first time. He felt like he should do something to comfort her, but stopped himself before he actually did. BB was dead. He wasn't after her anymore. She was safe from him.

"Right when I felt safe enough to check out the outside world again, I saw him again. Actually, he was looking for me. He waited for me to show up again. And when I did, he killed the people who were acting as my bodyguards so easily. It was like it should have been in a nightmare. I was frozen. I didn't know what to do. It wasn't until he said something that I regained my senses and did what my brother told me to do if I was ever in such a situation. Run away. As far away and as fast as I can."

Mello was silent for a moment as he tried to study her face. She was still facing away from him and out the window. He didn't know what he would see, but he had a feeling that he wouldn't have liked it.

"What did he say that made you run?"

She was silent for a moment. She could still remember the terror she felt when she heard him say it. No one but her brother and Watari were supposed to know of its existence.

"….My name."

_The girl stood there, terrified. It didn't even look like the man and woman had even tried to defend themselves. He killed them too easily. Was this a nightmare and he was Freddy Kruger in disguise? _

_Run. She had to run away. She had to get away from this man. Surely, he was going to kill her as well. Why wouldn't her legs move? She had to go! Her brother had to know what was going on and save her from this man. He had to put him in jail and throw away the key like he did with so many other criminals._

_The red-eyed man stared at her, smiling what she thought was a creepy smile. It looked even creepier in the twilight. He started walking towards her._

_Why was she letting him get so close? She needed her brother! She needed to run to him._

_Once he got close enough, he leaned forward as if to get a good look at her face._

"_You know, you don't really look too much like what your brother is supposed to look like. I'll give you the cheekbones and some of your facial structure, but otherwise, with the hair and eyes, you don't really look alike. Isn't that right….Lawliet?"_

_That did it. She ran off. She heard the man coming up behind her as she ran. She looked towards the brick wall of a building to see a lead pipe next to one. She grabbed it as she ran, but the man soon caught her by her other arm. _

_Without giving the situation too much thought, she swung the pipe as hard as she could and heard a thwack as it hit the man in the head. The blow made him release his grip on her and she took off again._

_Hide. She had to hide. She didn't know how far she had run already, but that man could probably find her easily. But where should she hide? She ducked into an alley and looked around at a crowd of people leaving a store across the street. It looked like the store would be closing soon._

_She ran across the street and ducked into the store before anyone realized she was there and alone._

_It turned out to be a clothing store. She ran farther into the store before ducking behind a rack of clothes. She had to find a better hiding place. She had seen kids hide in the clothes racks all the time. He would probably expect her to hide there. She needed a less predictable hiding place._

_She looked around to find a dressing room behind her. Towards the ground farther in the room was a vent._

_Yes! She could sneak in there. Even if he did find her, he wouldn't be able to fit in there to get her. _

_She ran into the dressing room without being spotted. She took a look at the vent. The covering was screwed on tight. The girl reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pocket knife her brother gave her for just in case of emergencies._

_After a few tries, she managed to unscrew all four screws. She hid the cover in a pile of clothes that was in a corner of the room and proceeded to crawl into the vent._

_She came to a dead end five feet in and the vent had split off into two ways. She crawled in one direction and then backed up until she was able to see the opening around a corner._

_After a moment of just laying there, she had gotten over the shock and had started crying. How did this happen? No one should know what her real last name was or who her brother was. Did she do something? _

_She wanted her brother there. She was scared and didn't know where to go or what to do._

_She didn't know how long she was there. All she knew was that, eventually, there was a commotion outside the opening. She peered around the corner to see someone on their hands and knees. This person had a white, long-sleeved t-shirt and messy black hair._

_His initial appearance scared her. She thought it was that imposter again. She backed up further away from the corner. It took her a minute to register the voice that was calling out to her._

"…_it's okay! It's me. I'm here to take you home. Everything is okay now."_

_The girl froze. That voice. Was it really…_

_She crawled forward slowly and peeked around the corner. The moment she saw his familiar dark eyes, she crawled towards him as fast as she could._

_Her brother pulled her out of the vent when she got close enough. What had surprised him the most was the fact that she was crying. She would normally try not to cry._

_She must have been so scared._

"_It's okay. I'm here. I got you."_

_L wouldn't act like this for anyone. Mainly because he mainly associated with people who wanted him either behind bars because of the way he handled his cases or dead because he had leverage over them to make them work for him or by throwing them in jail._

_But, when he saw his little sister, his only family, cry and cringe back in fear, he suddenly felt protective over her. _

_He knew who was behind her distress as well. That was the problem. B almost had her. There was the possibility that he would have killed her to prove a point to L._

_He had to keep her safe and away from those who would also try to kidnap L's only relative. But, some of his cases were too dangerous to take her with, and the FBI agents he hired just got killed._

_There was only one option left that would ensure her safety…._

"…about a month after that, L sent me to Wammy's because it was the safest place I could be at the time. He still didn't tell me what Wammy's was all about. He just told me that it was associated with him and that I would meet his successors soon. It also would have ensured my education and training should I ever change my mind about taking the title. And, well, you know the rest from there."

Silence followed. Despite the fact that they were now at an altitude where they were allowed to use electronics again, June didn't make a move to grab her iPod. She was too busy thinking.

Naomi Misora….that was the name of the woman who had helped L locked BB away. She never got to meet her. She never even got a chance to thank her. Thanks to Kira, she never would get the chance.

Aiber and Wedy….she recalled liking them as her bodyguards. They seemed nice. But she would never get to see them again and work on her poker face with Aiber again thanks to Kira.

Naomi Misora, Aiber, Wedy, Watari, L….Kira was killing everyone she had ever known, liked, and cared for. All she had left now was Mello, Matt, and Near. And she was lucky that they wanted to associate with her after she just blatantly ditched them years ago when this whole mess started to directly affect her.

But, this was going to end. Kira wasn't going to take anyone from her again. She might get taken away from them, but that would be a consequence of her actions. Kira wasn't going to take from her anymore. That was her resolve.

Mello saw her cross her arms and her fist clench against the sleeve of her jacket. He couldn't be sure of just what she was thinking at the moment, but he knew it couldn't have been anything good.

So, on an impulse, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. June tensed up a bit and looked up at him, startled. After a moment, she realized what he was doing.

Was he…trying to comfort her? After all she had put him through?

She was a bit surprised that he was making the effort to comfort her after all the fights they had gotten into the past few days. Finally, she caved and relaxed against him.

She suddenly felt tired. She looked out the window to see the sun setting over the horizon. Had a whole day really passed already? Oh well. She didn't really care.

All she cared about at the moment was the warm body next to hers. Yes, she now recognized completely and was admitting to herself that she did, indeed, care about Mello. She did at Wammy's and she did at that moment. How much she cared about him, she wasn't going to reveal yet.

If they got out of this alive, and he still wanted to see her afterwards, she would probably admit it then. But now, it would only be emotional baggage for him. It was best if only one of them had that much baggage on their mind right now.

But, there was one thing she knew for certain as she faded into sweet unconsciousness. Kira was NOT going to take Mello away from her. Not ever.

**Sorry it took me a while to get back to this. I was trying to figure out how to update some of my other stories since Error Type 2 decided to be a bitch to me.**

**But, I have figured that out so I could update the stories I had new chapters for. **

**I also blame Red vs. Blue for the delay. I recently got into them and that show is addicting! I hardly had time for these stories between homework, projects, HvZ, tests, and SLEEP (I'm a night person, what can I say) when I got into the show.**

**But! I have put my foot down and went on with this update that everyone is waiting patiently for. Also, HvZ is over for the semester, so I don't have to worry about night missions any time soon.**

**Well, that is all I have to say now. Please, be sure to review, as reviews help with motivation.**

**Also, what is your zombie plan? (This was the first Red vs. Blue episode that I saw and it's hilarious!)**


	37. Chapter 36

**Okay, I am back after over a month! Sorry about that, but a couple of my other stories were calling me last month. And then I had finals. But, I am OFFICIALLY on summer break. And I have one month before my Hawaii trip, so I have time to work on this story. **

**I meant to have this out back last Saturday to mark the fact that this story is a year old now! But things didn't work out that way, so this is a few days late.**

**Okay, we are officially in Japan. This…..is where the real suspense begins.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do own June.**

Chapter 36

A couple of weeks had passed since Mello, June, and Matt came to Japan. A couple of pretty uneventful weeks for the trio.

They took the time to scout out the city and NHN, which was surrounded by a ridiculous amount of security. Honestly, why would people want to defend such a person? Why would people agree with someone like Kira?

The whole thing made June sick. Everyone there came across to her as a mindless goon if they didn't get how atrocious and arrogant Kira was. June thought Kira was nothing more than a bastard who needed to learn that creating order and a so-called "perfect world" through killing NEVER works out. It had never worked out so well for multiple people throughout history. There was no way it was going to work out now.

That was June's reasoning.

But, she fought down the feelings because she couldn't afford to ruin her cover now.

She forgot what day it was, but she knew that it was sometime in December.

She was hoping that Near was making more progress than they had because she was starting to cut it close now.

They were back in the hotel now. Mello opted for a hotel near NHN in order to keep track of Takada's movements better. June thought that it didn't matter much because anyone could guess where she was going with the size of her posse surrounding her. The woman had more security than any celebrity and the President of the United States combined.

Mello and Matt were mulling over their computers at the moment. June sat on the chair listening to her iPod.

Suddenly, Matt spoke up.

"Hey guys. Near wants to talk to us."

June walked over to Matt's side of the couch to see the icon that indicated that someone was trying to reach them through a video feed.

Mello didn't want anything to do with Near at the moment and was tempted to tell Matt to disconnect, but June had beaten him to the punch. Not by literally punching him, but by smacking him upside the head when she saw where his train of thought was going. He needed to work on his poker face.

"Let him talk, then."

Mello was glaring at June when Near's face showed up on the screen.

June blinked.

"Hey Near, I didn't expect you to be showing your face to anyone anytime soon."

_This is a secured channel, so there is no need to worry about hackers. Besides, none of you here are Kira, so there isn't much of a point in hiding my face here._

June just shrugged.

_Nice to see that you've finally decided to join the investigation. You're a hard person to track._

"What can I say? It's not that hard to stay hidden when there aren't any records of you."

Apparently she didn't know about the file that Near had, but Mello chose not to say anything for now.

_Anyway, this is not what I want to discuss. I have some information that I want to share with you about my side of the investigation._

"Doesn't surprise me that the two of you are trying to solve the same case separately, but, as you were saying…."

_Also, I would like it if I could talk to June alone._

Near stared pointedly at Mello. Mello glared back at him. He didn't like the guy in the first place, but now Near was telling _him_ to get lost. Why that –

"Mello, just do it. Otherwise we'll be here until New Year's with your staring contest."

Mello reluctantly complied, but mainly so that June wouldn't get the idea to actually throw him out of the room. Matt followed him into the bedroom and shut the door behind them.

June returned her attention to the albino on the screen.

_Before I tell you what I have, would you tell me what you know so I can be up to speed on your progress?_

June went ahead and told Near what she knew about Light Yagami, Misa Amane, and the Death Note and shinigami in general. She also reported about her time tailing Misa. She did not say anything about her bet, her deadline, or the fact that her name couldn't be seen by shinigami eyes in the first place.

Near said nothing as she spoke. When she finished, he waited a moment to take in what she said before speaking.

_I see. You should probably know that I have spoken with Mello before he caught up with you and after your encounter with the mafia. He said that your name can't be seen by shinigami eyes._

Mello didn't say anything about that. She wondered if there was anything else he had mentioned.

_He didn't know the circumstances of your lack of name, and I don't know what they are either…._

That was what she wanted to know.

…_..but I also went ahead and took advantage of the fact. I let this fact be known to the Task Force. I have let them in on the fact that you were from Wammy's and had connections to L. I didn't tell them your alias, your description, or your real relation to L. However, you should know that, if they figure out your identity from Wammy's, they would probably try to find you for questioning. My reason for this is to draw Kira out into the open. Since the Death Note can't kill you, Kira would have to be more direct about killing you._

Technically, he didn't even have to do that to see her dead. He just had to draw things out long enough.

While June wasn't overly happy about people talking about her and giving out information without her consent, she could see Near's reasoning. Without knowing the circumstances of her nameless status, Kira would assume that she wouldn't just drop dead and would have to be dealt with more directly. Unless he manipulated someone else to kill her, but that would be difficult to do without knowing her location or who she was with.

"I understand, and I kind of agree with you on that, but I do wish that people wouldn't just so casually give away information about me without consulting me first."

_I understand._

"Although, I would also like to know how you know of my relation to L. Who told you and Mello about that?"

_Roger. He was given directions from L…..your brother…..to tell his successors of your real identity so that you could be consulted about cases. Plus, there's that inheritance that you have yet to claim._

She should have known that L would have done that. Although she didn't know that Near had to tell Mello that because he had walked out before receiving this information. But he didn't think that she needed to know that.

"The inheritance business can wait until after the case. Also, I was never told that his successor would have been my babysitter. No doubt another attempt at trying to get me to reconsider about whether or not to claim his title."

Near didn't bring up the fact that he was not her primary caretaker as specified all those years ago. The fact was no longer prudent, since she was a young woman now and therefore able to take care of herself.

Instead, he decided to go straight to discussing his side of the investigation.

_I have come to the conclusion that the best way to investigate Kira is through Takada. So, I have come to Japan myself._

June raised an eyebrow. It sounded like he was right where they were at in the investigation.

Near went on to explain his theory about L-Kira and X-Kira and how they were communicating through Takada. He explained about how he was planting Hal Lidner as Takada's bodyguard. He also explained about how he planned to get proof that L is Kira.

_Since your name is not visible, it is not possible for you to be the attempted victim. He currently considers me the bigger threat at the moment, so it is only logical to try to catch him writing my name in the notebook._

June frowned.

"That is a pretty big gamble there Near. Do you know who X-Kira is?"

_I have a lead. I'll let you know once I've confirmed it. In the meantime, you are free to investigate as you please. Just be careful around the Task Force and Takada. I would also like for you to refrain from telling Mello the exact details of my plan. Just tell him only what is necessary. If you find anything, you can contact me with the number I'm going to give you._

"…Okay." She knew that Mello was going to bitch and moan if he figured out that she was holding information from him, but some things just weren't necessary for him to know. After Near gave her the number, she asked a question she couldn't help but ask.

"Any idea on how close you are to closing this case?"

Near looked back up at her while twirling his finger in his hair. Why would she ask such an unnecessary question? The case would be solved as soon as they got evidence. She should know this. For what reason would she be worried about how long a case was going to take?

_We are getting closer to the end. We just need to wait for a confirmation on X-Kira's identity and we'll be able to close in on L-Kira._

June nodded. It was the best she could hope for.

"Well, if that is all, is there something you need to discuss with Mello or Matt?"

_Yes, there is. I would like to talk to Mello._

"Hey! Mello! Near wants a word with you!"

Mello came out, looking a bit suspicious about what Near wanted to talk to him about.

June walked past him and into the bedroom, where Matt was engrossed in another video game. Once the door had shut behind her, Mello sat on the couch in front of the computer screen.

"Well, what is it?"

_I only have one question for you._

Mello frowned at the sheep in front of him.

_Is there any reason that June has for worrying about how much longer the case might take?_

His reaction was immediate and he wasn't able to hide it from Near. His eyes widened and shock was written on his face for about a second. He knew now that June's time was almost up. There wouldn't be any point in asking if she had made the bet recently. The only problem was that he didn't know how much longer she had.

_Well?_

Near knew now that there was and Mello knew what it was, too.

Mello closed his eyes as he calmed down.

"….There is a reason, but you don't need to know it." There was no point in lying. He knew that Near would have figured out that he knew what June was hiding just from his reaction.

_Why not?_

"It'll only serve as a distraction from the case. You don't need to know."

Near frowned at him. What was June hiding? It had to be something serious in order for Mello to be covering for her like that. But, odds were that Mello was right. Whatever she was hiding would distract him from the Kira case. It would be best just to focus on solving the case and then get back to June's issue.

_Fine. That was all I wanted to ask. I will talk to you at another time._

With that, Near vanished from the computer screen.

Mello contemplated on what to do.

It was evident that they were running out of time. Near didn't know so he couldn't just speed up the investigation. Kira was too smart for that, anyway.

He had a feeling that if he asked June about what Near had talked to her about, she wouldn't tell him everything that they did discuss. He could also get his information from Hal later instead.

They had to be close to the end here. The was only one question.

Whose end will come first?

…

It was the day after Christmas (yes, she did check the date on the first newspaper she saw that day). The past few days had been uneventful on their end.

Although, it was understood that Near was able to confirm X-Kira as Teru Mikami. Now he was just trying to figure out how to get to his Death Note.

There was something nagging at the back of June's head, but she just couldn't figure out what it was. There had to be something more to this case.

June was walking around town, just mindlessly wandering around and listening to Paramore. Nobody in her group had really celebrated Christmas this year. Everyone was too busy thinking and analyzing what they had for the case. She knew that things wouldn't calm down until Kira was gone. For now, everyone's mind was occupied.

She stopped in front of a store window that was showing the evening news. Takada was doing her usual announcements about what Kira wanted and blah, blah, blah.

Suddenly, she had an idea. One that she would need to enact soon. She just needed some things first.

She ran into a nearby store that looked like it had all that she needed.

…..

Mello was sitting on the couch, tapping his foot and snapping off a piece of chocolate with his teeth.

What was taking June so long? She went out on a walk over an hour ago. He hoped that she didn't get into trouble.

Suddenly, Near popped up on his computer screen.

_Mello, what is June planning?_

Oh shit, this couldn't be good.

"What are you talking about?"

_I'm talking about the fact that she called me, asking to confirm the fact that Takada and Kira meet every night at the Teito Hotel. What is she thinking?_

Mello's stomach dropped.

"I don't know. This is the first time I'm hearing about this. She's probably doing something on impulse again."

_Find out what she is doing. We can't afford for her to be killed by Takada's security._

As if he needed to tell Mello twice. Near disconnected the feed and Mello was left staring at a blank computer screen.

He pulled out his cell phone and brought up June's number.

Just what was she up to this time?

**What is June planning? You will know….in the next chapter.**

**Hopefully, since I do know how to go about the next chapter, that'll be up pretty soon.**

**But until then, review and let me know what you think. I hope this has been another good chapter.**

**Later!**


	38. Chapter 37

**Ok, I know I said that I was going to get back with an update soon after the last update. I had **_**totally**_** meant that. But my old computer decided to conspire against me and crashed. That computer is now down with no hopes of turning back on. Luckily, I saved all of my unfinished work on an external hard drive before the computer's battery had died, so I didn't have to start all over. But, when I got a new computer, the new computer didn't have Microsoft Office, and with how hectic last week was for my family, I had to wait before getting the new software.**

**But, I have the software now, so I can now focus on my work. I apologize for the unexpected delay, but hey, computers hate me. **

**Now to see what June has in store for us.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note (otherwise, I wouldn't need to worry about student loans). I do own June.**

Chapter 37

Deep blue eyes flicked to the pocket that contained a ringing phone.

"Excuse me." The woman stepped a bit away from the check-in desk as she pulled out the phone.

"Hello?"

The clerk watched as the woman with waist-length blonde hair put the cell phone to her ear. She was wearing a red jacket and jeans and only carried a black backpack on her back.

"Hey Nick, I was going to tell you that I'm already here."

A pause.

"What? What do you mean you won't make it tonight? I've already checked-in! No…no, it's fine. I'll just stay an extra night just to wait for you, slowpoke!"

The clerk listened on as the woman's plans had changed on her.

"I told you! I have a schedule I have to keep. I can't afford to dawdle. Just call me when you get here tomorrow."

She hung up and walked back to the desk.

"Sorry about that. There was a last minute change in plans. I'll have to stay an extra night."

The clerk smiled at her.

"No problem. I understand, Ms…" she looked at the name the woman signed, "Urahara."

Ms. Urahara smiled.

"Thank you."

The clerk then handed her a card key.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here." Ms. Urahara nodded her thanks and walked off towards the elevators.

Once she got to her room, she locked the door and checked the clock. It was 8:30.

"Now I just have to wait."

…..

Mello stared at his phone in bewilderment. What the hell was that all about?

He put his phone away and grabbed his keys. He had to find her NOW. His best guess was that he would find her at the Teito Hotel.

She was planning something. Something she probably came up on the spot and didn't consult with him or Matt because she knew they wouldn't agree with it.

Matt came out of the bathroom at that moment.

"What's going on?" He noticed Mello getting ready to leave in a hurry.

"June's at it again. I think she's planning something that involves Takada's meeting with Kira tonight."

Mello finished off the chocolate bar he was eating and, as he turned around to leave the room, a pair of keys was staring at him in the face. He looked over to see Matt.

"I'll drive."

…

If the guys knew what she was up to, they would probably kill her after declaring this as her second stupidest plan ever. The first one was still, and would probably always be, gambling with a shinigami.

June was currently crawling through the air vents at the Teito Hotel. After she had finished her preparations and consulted her soon-to-be partner in crime, she had waited until she had reasoned that Takada was probably already there, having her meeting with Kira.

She listened carefully for any familiar voices. After all, she didn't have Matt's hacking skills to figure out which room they would meet in.

After she had reached the half hour mark in her search, she finally heard Kira's spokesperson talking just five feet to her right.

She crawled over to where there was a grate on the floor of the vent that led to the room below. June peeked through to see Takada and Light talking directly underneath her.

She held her breath and hoped that the ceiling was sturdy. Otherwise, this was going to be an interesting night.

….

Mello and Matt looked at the building surrounded at all sides by Takada's security from Matt's car. There was no way in hell that they were going to be able to sneak by to get in and find her.

Mello fingered the rosary he wore around his neck.

"She better have a good plan here."

"I'm sure she thought something out." Despite his reassurance, Matt wasn't even playing a video game. That in itself was a warning sign of how much he was worried about this whole scheme. And he didn't even know what the scheme was.

"I swear she has a death wish or something. She won't be satisfied until she's killed herself."

Matt looked over at his friend, frown on his face.

"I'm pretty sure she has no interest in dying. She's just able to take bigger risks than we're willing to come up with." June was impulsive, but she wasn't necessarily suicidal. Mello should know that as well.

"Hmph. Yeah right. She made a bet with a shinigami. A _shinigami_. She has to not care about life or her friends if she's willing to go that far."

Matt frowned at him.

"I know that she cares about us just like we care about her."

Mello crossed his arms and continued to look out the window.

"I didn't say that _I_ cared about her."

Matt eyed the rosary that Mello was fingering, this time with a skeptical look on his face.

"If you really didn't care about her, would you have held on to the same rosary that she gave you all those years ago?"

Mello turned his head to glare at his friend. Oh how he wished he wasn't right at that moment. Instead of responding, he just looked back out the window at the hotel. Silence rolled over them in a suffocating way. This situation was just too dangerous. Anyone could see that.

He hoped that she actually _had_ a plan this time. There was no way she could afford to wing it this time.

…..

Okay, she was starting to feel cramped in the vent. There wasn't much room for her to move. Honestly, this was a lot easier to do when she was eight.

But, she would just have to bear it because she didn't want to draw attention to herself by moving too much.

The conversation going on below her was meaningless. What was really catching her attention were the notes that Kira and Takada were writing to each other. She was too far up to see what they were writing, but she had a feeling that those were the instructions that Takada received from Kira every day.

Then, Kira reached into his pocket and pulled out two pieces of folded up paper. June peered over the grate as much as she dared to get a better view of what Kira was doing.

He unfolded the paper to reveal two drawings and quietly pointed them out to Takada.

June froze. Those drawings were of Mello and Near. How did he get those? Who drew them and why? June forced herself to calm down. They were just drawings. They couldn't kill unless it was a photograph and they still needed their names. However, that raised another question for her. Did they have their names?

She didn't know. Matt seemed to be in the clear since his drawing wasn't there, but what about Near and Mello? She was going to have to question them about that when she got back.

She mentally cursed herself for not buying a digital camera when she went shopping with Misa. She could have used the zoom to see what they were writing. Well, she could always try this again as long as nothing bad happened this time around.

After deciding that this was all she was going to glean without seeing what they were writing, she decided to head back to her room. As she started backing up to get away from the room, she heard the one sound she did not want to hear. Especially not now.

The ceiling underneath her groaned under the shift in weight. And this was, apparently, not her lucky day because the two killers in the room below her had heard it and knew immediately that they were being spied on.

"Who's there?"

Aw shit. Well, she had two choices. She could either crawl back as fast as she could and feign innocence when questioned later, since they didn't see her yet. Or she could drop down and reveal herself to Kira. It wasn't like he could kill her without openly murdering her, anyway. But then, there were Takada's guards, who would do that job for them.

"Come out right now."

What the hell? She couldn't stay hidden forever.

Light stared up at the ceiling vent where he heard the noise. He knew there was someone there, but who was able to get past Takada's security? And for what purpose were they here?

He was going to find out.

The grate opened with a bang. Whoever was up there used a significant amount of force to open the vent. Then he saw a pair of tennis shoes and jeans. Then the person jumped down and onto the coffee table, revealing a red jacket and long, blonde hair.

Once the person stood up straight, he saw that the person was a girl, or a small young woman and she had deep blue eyes. She didn't get down from the table.

Takada was standing slightly behind him with a look of apprehension on her face.

Light decided to get straight to the point.

"Who are you?"

The woman looked over at him, her expression blank.

"I'm no one, really."

Light frowned at her. He had to be careful since the Task Force was listening in, but Takada could still move as Kira dictated since it was already known that she was a Kira supporter.

Light glanced over at Takada and gave her a tiny nod to let her know to send Mikami a picture. Takada nodded back and started to pull out her cell phone.

"Why were you in the vents? Were you spying on us?"

The woman sighed.

"Okay, I admit. I was in the vent because I was bored."

"What?" Of all the answers he could have gotten, he wasn't expecting that one.

"I was sitting in my room, bored out of my head. I am much more interested in watching other people. So I crawled into a vent to see what other people were doing. When I came across you guys, your conversation started to bore me, so I was just leaving when the ceiling groaned and you caught me."

Light looked at her incredulously. Just what made her think that he would believe that? Oh well. In a few moments, it wouldn't matter that she was spying on them.

The woman saw Takada's cell phone flash as it took the picture.

"Oh, you were taking a picture? You should have said something so I could have struck a pose."

Neither Light nor Takada responded to her comment. It didn't matter if the Task Force heard her. Takada was a Kira supporter and Light was there "acting" as one as well. This could easily be explained away. Takada sent the picture to Mikami.

"You do know that what you were doing was an invasion of privacy?"

She shrugged.

"It wasn't like I had a camera and was going to post something on YouTube. I'm not _that _kind of person."

Light said nothing. In a few seconds, they would get her name and Takada could act accordingly.

Takada felt her phone vibrate after a moment of silence and flipped it open to see the text message that T sent her. She gasped.

Light turned around to see her eyes widened in shock at her phone. He held out his hand for the phone and she handed it over. Light looked at the text Mikami had sent back.

_No name. Only lifespan is visible. What is she?_

What? What was the meaning of this? How could there be no name?

"So I'm guessing you now know why I had no problem showing my face in front of you and Takada, _Kira_."

Light snapped his eyes up to see the woman smirking at him.

"As you have no doubt been told, I technically have no name, which is why I said that I was no one. After all, if I was someone, then I would have a name, wouldn't I?"

She wasn't expecting an answer. She only stared at Light for a moment, glad that she got to see the look on his face when he saw that someone _could_ evade the power of the Death Note. The only secret now was the price.

"The Death Note only works if you have a name to go with a face, so, in essence, I have immunity from the thing." For now, at least. But there was no need to tell them that.

"But, if you must call me by something, then you can go ahead and call me June."

**Gasp! June had done it! She had revealed herself to Kira and Takada and had all but slapped them in the face with the knowledge that the Death Note can't kill her….for now.**

**Now for the next question: just how is she going to get out of there alive? Especially with Takada's personal army (because the amount of security is ridiculous) surrounding the building?**

**All shall be revealed next time! Hopefully the new computer won't crap out on me before I finish the next update.**

**Now for the usual stuff: please review so I know how I did this time around. I know it's another short chapter, but that was how it worked out. I will try to make up for that by adding more action in the next chapter.**

**Later!**


	39. Chapter 38

**Ok, I clearly can't keep a consistent writing schedule. I apologize for that. But I am back with an update, so hopefully you guys aren't too mad. It's just been taking me a while to get back to writing anything all together lately. **

**It probably didn't help that I picked out One Piece as a new manga to read, considering how many chapters there are for that. But I've managed to tear myself away to focus on this story.**

**So, now is the exciting part of June's little escapade.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. I do own my OC, June.**

Chapter 38

The look on their faces was absolutely _priceless_. It made June wished that she did have a camera so she could have a picture of this moment.

She had to admit, standing on a coffee table and looking down at her enemies while they received the knowledge that they couldn't kill her the way they normally would made her feel like a total badass. Oh, how she wished she could revel in this moment for a bit longer.

But, she had to focus on another issue that was kind of pressing at that moment. She needed to be able to get out of here alive without getting caught by Takada's security force. The Death Note might not be able to kill her, but regular humans using guns still could. And despite how much she liked that song by La Roux, she was definitely _not_ bulletproof.

And her entire escape mostly depended on the person who was hopefully doing their part in case shit had hit the fan. And that was going to be any minute now.

"Wait, you're June? That girl from Wammy's Near told us about?"

June nodded.

"Yep, although I would have liked it better if Near had told me that he was going to out me to the Task Force."

Light frowned at her. She was basically still a kid, yet she was labeled as one of L's heirs and somehow had no name. Now he understood what Near meant when he said the Death Note couldn't touch her. But how was it possible for someone to not have a name? Everyone was born with a name, so how was her name invisible? Was this the effect of something supernatural, like the shinigami?

He didn't have any of the answers to the unusual phenomenon in front of him. All he knew was that this woman was a dangerous threat to his world. She had to be eliminated.

"Why don't you have a name? Everyone has a name."

June nodded.

"That's true. Everyone does have a name. I even had a name once. I just happened to have discarded it during the investigation."

Discarded? How? That had to be impossible. No one could just drop their name like that, could they?

"Well, I believe I've overstayed my welcome. We'll be seeing each other again soon."

By the time the words had registered to him and Takada, June had jumped up from the coffee table and was now in the process of crawling back into the vent. Damn it! He couldn't let her get away! Not only was the Death Note not able to kill her, but if it was possible to just discard your own name like that, he couldn't allow her the chance to get to Near or Mello and teach them how to do the same.

Takada had already taken action and called her bodyguards. She was telling them that a dangerous woman had broken into the room and was now getting away.

June, in the meantime, was crawling as fast as she could back to her room. As soon as she hopped out of the vent and her feet touched the floor, she ripped off her wig and threw it into her backpack that was waiting on the couch for her. She also removed her colored contacts and threw them away.

She was quickly getting out of her jacket when her phone rang. She picked it up only to hear two words.

_15 seconds._

The call was quickly disconnected, but she understood all the same. She got ready and picked up her bag, making sure she wasn't forgetting anything.

And then all hell broke loose.

…..

Matt and Mello were still sitting in the car outside when it all went down. The word of a dangerous individual threatening Takada had spread throughout the ranks of security outside of the building. That was when they were really starting to worry. The whole crowd of suits standing outside was starting to converge on the building with the intent to trap the threat.

Matt and Mello knew that June had either made her move or made a mistake. Right now, it was looking more like a mistake. How did she intend to escape all of these people? They knew that the odds of her actually having a clean getaway planned already were slim to none. They had to do something, but what?

Before they could think of anything that they could do, the sound of an alarm coming from the hotel shrilled through the night. Suddenly, people were trying to rush out of the building past the security guards. Before they knew it, fire trucks and police cars rushed in.

When Takada's security tried to get in and keep the people trying to leave the hotel from coming out, the firefighters had stepped in. From where they sat, they could clearly hear one of them shouting, "That alarm means that there's a major gas leak in the building! We have to evacuate everyone for their safety!" Mello frowned. A gas leak? Right when June was about to get caught? Did that mean that she actually thought out an escape plan before going in or was this a coincidence?

Either way, the bodyguards caved after they made sure that some of the ones inside had flanked around Takada and were now escorting her out of the building. Light managed to stay undetected from them somehow.

But, Takada's security team had set up a perimeter for everyone coming out of the building. They were determined to find the person Takada had described. They weren't going to let a gas leak interfere with her capture.

"Matt, you're prepared to set up a smokescreen if it comes to it, right?"

Matt nodded, loading the gun with a smoke bomb. If she got caught by the guards, they were going to shoot a smoke bomb, run in, and run out with June in tow.

Minutes passed and the alarm finally stopped, with all of the occupants out in the parking lot and being searched by the guards.

Minutes became at least two hours before the crowd had thinned, people going back into the hotel as they get cleared by security. Takada had left about two hours ago. There was no sign of Light. No alarm had been raised about June getting spotted. It had been too quiet. Mello was wondering just what was going on. Where was June?

Matt suddenly spotted a figure wearing a blue jacket with the hood up walking away from the hotel. The person also had a black backpack on their back. If he was right, that was June and she was getting out clean. At least, that was until one of the guards spotted her and ran up to catch her.

"Hey you! Hold it!"

The figure stopped and turned around to face the guard. He caught up to her and grabbed her hood. He flipped it off her head to reveal a black-haired woman wearing glasses. She looked really nervous.

"C-Can I help you, s-sir?"

The guard just scoffed. This wasn't the right woman.

"No, unless you've seen a woman with long, blonde hair running around."

She shook her head.

"I-I'm sorry, sir. I haven't." Without another word, the guard turned around and went back to the hotel.

The woman gave a sigh of relief, and then smirked as she turned around to walk away.

"Hey Mello, I think she's safe for now. Let's head back and wait for her there," Matt suggested.

Mello just nodded. He saw the exchange between the guard and the woman and came to the same conclusion Matt came to. June was donning a disguise now. She was in the clear for now. At least until Mello got a hold of her and bite her head off for going with such a plan without consulting either of them.

Matt started the car and drove off in the direction of their building.

….

When they got there, they were mildly surprised to find that June had beaten them back to their room and was sitting on the couch. She still had the black hair, but she'd discarded the glasses.

As relieved as the two of them were at the fact that she was back and safe, there wasn't anything that could stop the next few minutes from happening.

"JUST WHAT THE _HELL_ WERE YOU THINKING?" Mello shouted as loud as humanly possible. Matt was glad that the door was closed behind them, but that probably didn't stop the neighbors from hearing them either way.

June knew that this was going to happen. She just took a deep breath and tried to stay calm while Mello attempted to pop a blood vessel. Possibly his aorta, but she couldn't be sure.

"I just had an idea and I didn't have a whole lot of time before I needed to put it into action."

Mello was still fuming (surprise, surprise).

"You acted on impulse again! Did you forget that we were here too? Because you seem to be doing that a lot lately!"

She was starting to get irritated by him.

"Look! Sorry! I figured that I could glean some information if I spied on one of their meetings. I even did some planning ahead of time. I dyed my hair black and used a blonde wig so I could make an escape should I've been spotted. The gas leak was also a part of the plan should things go the way they did tonight."

Mello was silent for a moment. She actually planned ahead? She wasn't just winging it?

"…..You actually thought up of the gas leak?"

She looked away.

"Not really. The disguise was my idea, but someone else came up with the gas leak."

Mello frowned. She wasn't working alone? He looked at Matt, who was the most likely person in the room to suggest such a thing. But he shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he wasn't the one helping her. Which brought up the question: who was helping June?

"…You went to someone else for help?" June shook her head.

"I actually ran into him by accident, but he's a friend. And he offered to help."

Matt and Mello exchanged a look. She had a friend in Japan who could help them and she didn't say anything? Who was this person?

"Who is he?" asked Mello.

Just before she could answer, there was a knock on the door. Both Matt and Mello tensed and automatically reached for their guns, but June just rolled her eyes, got up from the couch, and went to the door.

"June! What are you doing?" Mello hissed.

"Relax, I know who this is." She opened the door to reveal a guy about a few inches taller than June. He had light brown hair and hazel eyes.

"You owe me for this," was all he said upon entering. June shrugged.

"Hey, all I did was made you wear a wig. I don't even wear make-up, so you should consider yourself lucky that you didn't have to wear that either."

Matt raised an eyebrow at her, confused.

"What are you guys talking about?" he asked.

June smirked.

"We both came in dressed as the same person, so he had to go in looking somewhat like a girl. Then he went downstairs to set up a couple of gas bombs…they weren't lethal!" she said in response to the look Matt was giving her, "…and I went upstairs and ended up confronting Kira."

"Wait, Kira saw you?" Mello asked.

June scratched the back of her head.

"Yeah, they caught me spying on them and they figured out that the Death Note doesn't work on me."

Everyone else, except for the new guy, froze.

"You gave yourself away to Kira?" June nodded.

"But I was wearing the wig then and wore contacts. As far as he knows, he's still looking for a blonde."

Mello was visibly shaking.

"He's probably expecting that from someone like you. Don't you ever think through to the consequences of your actions? Do you want to die?" he shouted at her.

She was glaring at him now. The new guy looked like he wanted to step in, but Matt stopped him, quietly telling him that he should just stay out of it.

"If I thought about how every little thing could go wrong, I wouldn't have made any progress in this case. As things are now, _I'm_ the one who had to tell _you_ about the Death Note, shinigami, and Kira! And I've also figured out tonight that Kira had sketches of you and Near! So you'll be recognized if you go out in public! Is there anything you want to tell me, such as _do they know your name_?"

Mello froze. They had sketches? He didn't know that. While he was certain that they didn't have Near's name, he knew that the Task Force and Kira had his name. Which meant that if he got recognized, it was probably over for him. But she didn't know that. She didn't know that the Task Force had known his name since they raided the mafia.

"….No, they don't have my name. And I highly doubt that they have Near's name as well." And she didn't need to know that. She didn't need to know that Kira was armed with his name.

June scanned his face, trying to detect whether or not he was lying. He said it pretty calmly, but she still couldn't tell.

"….Fine." She was going to believe it for now. But if it turned out he was lying, she was going to kick his ass into next year.

Things were quiet for a few minutes. Then Matt broke the silence.

"Well, I think we've had enough excitement for tonight. I say we just go ahead and get some sleep."

June nodded and went to her room. Mello just crashed on the couch. The new guy finally spoke up.

"Well, I think I'll just go now. I just wanted to make sure she was ok. I'm Alex, by the way."

Matt nodded.

"I'm Matt. If you wouldn't mind coming back up here tomorrow, I have some questions I'd like to ask you." Mainly, he wanted to know how he knew June and what he knew about the case.

Alex nodded.

"Sure." With that, Alex left the room, and Matt just went to bed.

**Whew! I finally got this chapter out. I hope this chapter has been another good one. I'll try (keyword: TRY) to update soon, but I guarantee nothing. My writing consistency has been nonexistent lately, and I apologize for that. But I will try not to make you wait too long.**

**Well, as usual, please review and let me know what you think. See ya!**


	40. Chapter 39

**. . . Crap. I just looked at the last date I updated this story. I did not intend on making you all wait another few months this time. But, I've got some good news for you. Since this story is getting closer to the end (yes, we are starting to see the end here) and I know **_**exactly **_**how I want this to end, I'm going to put aside my other stories temporarily and exclusively work on this one. This is my oldest story on the site and I'm determined to finish it soon. And then I will do the same for my Bleach story for a while before even thinking about touching One Piece or starting a Dragon Ball Z story (I know, too many projects. Blame my overactive imagination).**

**I will go back to recent projects eventually, but I've neglected this one for too long and I'm so close to finishing it. I'm sorry for the long wait.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note.**

Chapter 39

It was midafternoon the next day. June went on another walk and Mello was doing some investigating of his own when Matt opened the door for Alex.

Alex was, honestly, a bit wary of the redhead as he sat down on the couch. He remembered June talking about him before, but he still didn't know him that well. Matt was equally as wary. He just didn't show it. But he had to know just how June knew this guy and what he knew about the case.

"I'm Matt, in case I forgot to tell you." Alex nodded.

"Alex. Now, what is it that you wanted to ask me?" He felt better just getting straight to the point of the visit.

"Well, I mainly want to know how you know June." Alex nodded.

"Well, it was a few years ago. I moved over here from America to get a fresh start. Things . . . didn't go so well for me in the US. I needed to go somewhere else." While Matt understood the need to relocate, this wasn't the story he wanted to hear. Alex, sensing that Matt wanted him to get on with it, started telling him what he wanted to know.

"I got a job at an electronics store when she came in. She was having computer troubles and I was the one assigned to help her. I figured out, quickly, that she couldn't work a computer to save her life." Matt actually laughed a bit there. He knew for sure now that Alex was telling a true story.

"She stopped by several times to get her computer fixed until one day it just died and took everything she saved on it with it. She looked . . . stressed, to say the least. She ended up leaving without a word that last time. Later, I found her sitting in an alley, moping. I tried asking her what was wrong, but it took me over a half an hour to get her to tell me. Turned out that she ran out of money to stay at a hotel and didn't know anybody that would take her in." Matt listened with rapt attention. June never told him anything about her last trip to Japan other than that she made a deal with a shinigami. She didn't tell them about her other struggles. Didn't she have an inheritance that she could dip into?

"I ended up taking pity on her and invited her to stay with me. I haven't known anyone with that much bad luck since . . ." Alex trailed off as his stared off into the distance. Matt was about to ask him what was wrong when Alex suddenly shook his head.

"Anyway, she was reluctant at first. But I managed to convince her by saying that if she got a job in town, she could pay for her own expenses from there. But at first, I would be the one to handle food and housing. I was a bit worried about how much I would have to spend on food until I saw that she ate next to nothing on a daily basis. Then I just started worrying about her health! There's no way a person could survive on a meal and a half a day at most!"

Another sign that Alex was telling the truth.

"But eventually, I asked her about some stuff I found on her computer. It was by accident, but it caught my attention."

"What did you find on her computer?"

"It looked like some notes. The name Kira came up multiple times. When I asked her about it, she suddenly shut down. It worried me as much as her eating habits were."

"What did she tell you?" She was an honest person, but he was hoping that she knew when not to say the whole truth.

"Not much at first. Then she started talking about why she in Japan. She said that she was looking for anything that would tell her where Kira was and who he was. She also talked about you guys."

"Really? Like what?" Matt was honestly surprised. Did she really trust this guy that much?

"Well, she said that she met you guys at the orphanage she was sent to. She talked a lot about all the stuff you guys did. I think it was the only time she really smiled when she stayed here. After she got a job, she stayed a few months, saving up her money so that she would last a while without a job. I would like to think that she trusted me as much as she trusted you guys." And then Alex frowned as he remembered what happened towards the end of June's stay.

"Then one day, she just came back looking pretty solemn. I knew something was up, but she wouldn't tell me. After a few days, she said that she was going back to America to continue her investigation. She wouldn't really look at me. She just thanked me for everything and said goodbye. It felt to me like she thought that she might not see me again. It scared me, but there wasn't anything I could do about it."

That must have been when she made the deal with the shinigami. It made sense to Matt.

"So, I'm guessing that, since you didn't turn her in, you're not with Kira?" It seemed obvious now, but the question still had to be asked. Alex scoffed.

"Kira is no god. I get that he thinks that he's doing a world a favor by just killing everyone who's a criminal, but that's the thought process of a child. He may be able to justify his actions to some extent, but the fact is that he's let himself turn into what he claims to hate. A heartless killer. And, because people are appeasing his behavior, I don't think it'll be long before he starts asking for more from the people other than 'stop committing crimes'. He may have started with good intentions, but because he's letting this power go to his head, he can easily go full dictator on the world. To be frank, I hate people like him." Matt evaluated Alex as he spoke. As far as he could tell, Alex was telling the truth.

"Well, as far as I can tell, you and me are going to get along just fine. You've told me all that I want to know for now. If you give me your current number, I can call you again in case we need your help if you're up for it." Alex complied and gave Matt his current number. Shortly afterwards, Alex started to leave when he paused at the door.

"By the way, where is June?" asked Alex. Matt shrugged.

"She's out somewhere. But she should be fine. She knows how to take care of herself." Alex nodded, but still looked worried about something.

"Okay, but you might want to keep an eye on her still. I remember the impression she gave me when I first met her and saw her out on the streets."

"What impressions was that?" asked Matt. Alex's hazel eyes bore into his blue ones as he answered.

"That she was someone who didn't have anything left to lose. Someone who no longer cared if she died or not."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Man, I can't believe that she managed to get that close to you and still escape from Takada's security force. She's definitely someone not to take lightly," said Matsuda. After the encounter with June last night, the Task Force had been busy with trying to find her before Takada's security force or Kira found her. It was clear that she planned the gas leak as a means of escaping, and after Light described her appearance to Mogi, he confirmed that she might have been wearing a wig since her hair wasn't supposed to be so long.

Light was frustrated at the fact that she still got away. He managed to clear himself with everyone since he had to "act" the part of a Kira supporter around Takada, but even then she didn't get caught and killed. How was someone like this overlooked? He should have had the Task Force look into all the orphans from Wammy's instead of just Near and Mello.

He sighed. Oh well. There was no going back in time to fix this. Besides, it looked like she was working by herself instead of with Near or Mello, meaning that she probably didn't tell them what she might know about the Death Note. But, she had gone up to his face and told him bluntly that she wouldn't be an easy foe. Her being nameless made things a bit more difficult. That must have been why Near had no qualms with selling out an ally. He knew that Kira would have to be more direct if he wanted her dead. Near was waiting for him to give himself away by making a move to kill her.

But, that wasn't what he was planning to do. Now that he knew about his new opponent's unusual status, he just needed to wait for Mikami to reveal what she really looked like if he found her later. She just became the most conspicuous person in the world just by not having a name, and she would eventually drop her disguise. And, as long as she didn't get into contact with Near or Mello, she wasn't really a threat herself. As soon as he disposed of Near, she would just be another person to deal with at leisure. She might be able to elude his Death Note's power, but she also proved to be a reckless person. He wasn't sure just how well she thought her plan through when she revealed herself to him and Takada.

After all, wouldn't it have been more beneficial for her if she just kept her head down and worked in the shadows, like Near? She might not have anything to fear from the Death Note, but there was no way that she couldn't be killed by more conventional means. Otherwise, why would she run from Takada's security if not from fear of death? Yes, by outing herself, she made herself an enemy to the world. She wouldn't last long. The only problem would be if someone managed to post her picture on the news and everyone expecting him to just kill her. But, that could wait. After all, Takada's guard were on a "shoot first, ask questions later" kind of policy.

There was no need to see her as a threat. He just needed to put some effort into looking for her with the Task Force to make it look like he was interested in keeping her alive in order to gain her help.

"Yes, she knows what she's doing to a point, but she's a reckless person. Who on earth would think of just outing themselves like that? I'm not sure if she thinks things through. It would be best if we found her before she got herself killed. After all, she's hasn't done anything bad so far and she could be a good asset in finding Kira. I just hope that she doesn't take too many risks before we find her," said Light.

Matsuda nodded.

"I agree. But she vanished without a trace last night. It was almost like she was a ninja!"

"Matsuda!" said Aizawa, annoyed.

"Sorry . . ." Aizawa sighed. He was hoping this girl knew what she was doing. She had been reckless last night. She was either more willing to take risks than either L or Near, or she thought that she simply didn't have anything to lose. And if that was the case, then he needed to find her before she did something that was downright suicidal.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Near twirled his hair around one finger as he studied a finger puppet in his other hand. This puppet was wearing a blue jacket and had short, dark blonde hair. The blue eyes that were staring back at him weren't the reflection of the current person the puppet was imitating, but the short-tempered girl who used to challenge him to a bunch of games just for fun.

He supposed that, looking back, she might have also been testing him in her own way to see if her brother's title was going to end up in good hands. However, he wasn't completely sure if he passed her test.

She was a person who always had at least one thing hidden from everyone. First it was her brother's identity, then it was her true potential of possibly being the new L. Now she was hiding something else and he didn't think it had anything to do with L.

First she asked a pointless question as to how much longer the case might take. Now she was taking a huge risk to find something about Kira and Takada. A risk that was too great for anyone at the SPK or for Mello, yet she did it as if her life was something to be thrown away carelessly. Not to mention that she could have botched the entire investigation if she did anything wrong.

She had made herself known to Kira and she wouldn't explain just what kind of information she was hoping to glean when she spied on them.

But, he had a feeling as to what it was she was trying to do. She was trying to find something that would help end the case as soon as possible. But for what reason would she have to worry about how long the case would take? It seemed like Mello had an idea, but he said that the information would be a distraction. But how would that be the case?

Near thought back to June's nameless status. She had said that she discarded her name during the investigation. But how did she discard her name? Was there a price to be able to do that? That would explain why she didn't go out of her way to tell him or Mello how to get rid of their names, otherwise she probably would have told them without hesitating in order to guarantee their survival. But, if that was the case, what was the price? How steep did it have to be in order for her not to share this method?

Maybe it was a time limit. That would explain her pointless question. But a time limit to do what? And what would happen if she ran out of time?

Near looked up at one of the monitors to see the news air something about the gas leak last night. From what he could see, he hoped that she had a good reason for her pointless raid on the hotel because her impulsive nature just made an unwanted sacrifice.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

June felt uneasy as she started walking back to their temporary HQ that evening. She didn't know why. Was it about the fight she had with Mello? Nah, that didn't seem right. Besides, they were always fighting nowadays. No, this was something else. But what?

She walked by a window that had a monitor showing the news. She didn't really mean to glance at it, considering the news was always about Kira, but she froze the second she did.

No. No, no, no, no, NO! This had to be a mistake! She thought that they had double-checked everything! This wasn't supposed to happen!

Without thinking, she ran as fast as she could towards an address she was vaguely surprised that she still remembered. However, no matter how fast she ran, it felt like it was still taking her too long to get there.

And, to her horror, by the time she made the last turn, she was already too late. She was stuck, frozen where she stood, as she watched the police cart out the body of her friend.

**It had to be done. That's all I can say about the last part of this chapter. **

**I can't say as to how many chapters are left exactly, but I don't think I'll hit the number fifty if I had to guess. Just to give you an idea as to how close we are to being finished here.**

**Well, as I said, I'm determined to finish this story soon, so I'm going to focus majority of my attention to do so. And I only have like three weeks of classes left before going on a three week winter break, so I should have time to write these chapters out soon.**

**So, I hope you guys review and tell me what you think and hopefully I shall return a hell of a lot sooner with the next update. Later!**


	41. Chapter 40

**Yay! I am back with another chapter. And within a few weeks of the last update instead of months. I'm hoping that you guys will be satisfied with this because I'm only sure of how two of you felt about the last chapter. That made me a bit nervous.**

**But, as I said, I'm so close to the end here that I'm not going to stop now. And, you can probably expect to see the next chapter sometime next week because this week is finals week and I have a sense of impending doom for two of them. Hopefully, I won't suck too badly at them (but I think I might have to repeat one or two of my classes because they are so hard). **

**But anyway, after I'm done panicking about that, I'll come back full force with the next few chapters over a three week long winter break. So yeah. That's good news.**

**Well, anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. June is my OC.**

Chapter 40

It had been a few weeks since June's raid on Kira's meeting with Takada. During that time, Near had been able to take Misa and Mogi out of the investigation by kidnapping them and was able to get one of his subordinates to touch Mikami's Death Note.

He had been giving June updates on his plan since the fiasco that had cost an innocent person his life in an attempt to make sure that she didn't do something on impulse to get information he already had himself. For now, it seemed like he was able to convince her that all that needed to be done was to wait for the 23 days to be up to make sure that Gevanni wasn't under the control of the Death Note and his plan could move forward into its final stage.

However, he could only hope that she was listening to him about the "don't do anything for 23 days" part. She was too impulsive for her own good. Although she seemed pretty quiet since the death of Alex Bockner, her accomplice. It was clear that she was never one to really think about the consequences of her actions, but maybe now that someone else had paid for her actions, she was being forced to realize that she had to think about the possible damage she could cause if she didn't spend the time to think through a plan. It might be a harsh way to learn, but it would be important if she learned this lesson soon before she did something that could really cost them the case or her own life.

After all, no one wanted to see her die for her efforts.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Hey June." June looked up from her spot on the couch to see Mello looking down at her. Matt was sitting next to her playing a video game.

Ever since Alex's murder, the two of them had been keeping a close eye on her. She knew why, but it was still a fact that Alex's murder was her fault.

What had happened was that, when Alex was leaving the building, his face came in view of a security camera as he took off the wig she made him wear. He had also removed the hat she gave him to conceal his face from the cameras inside. That was the security tape Takada's men had found and had it posted on the news. From there, Mikami had done the rest while he was at home the next day.

The whole mess had been her fault. She had let him convince her to let him help. She had no intention of letting anyone else get involve in her raid, but she couldn't help but admit that she lacked an escape plan. She was originally going to just wing it like always, but then Alex ran into her, figured out that she was up to something when she was getting her disguise, and refused to let her do it alone, since he figured it had to do with Kira. And Kira was a dangerous person to face even in a group, let alone by yourself.

She thought that she had everything under control. Alex was in disguise so that no one would recognize him on the street and she gave him a hat to hide his face from the security cameras. He should have gotten out clean. But now his life had been cut short and she had been the cause.

She still felt guilty, but in order to prevent any more losses, she had to focus on capturing Kira. She had at least grown up that much since Wammy's. She wasn't going to run away again.

Mello looked down at her, at the woman who used torment him on a daily basis and had too much pride to think of asking for help. That same woman was now sitting before him, beaten and broken by a single person's actions and it was showing. Her hair was still black from the dye, but it had grown down a bit past her shoulders since he had run into her at the mafia hideout. Her natural waves were looking disheveled. The shadows under her eyes were a testament to the lack of sleep she had been getting for the past few weeks. And he didn't even want to think about how much she actually ate on a daily basis.

It pained him to see her like this. He wanted nothing more than for her to go back to cussing the two of them out and torment him over something stupid and immature. He wanted her to start acting like herself again.

Unfortunately, there was no way to turn back time. Her scars from this case would remain for a long time. He knew that. But she wouldn't be able to start healing until Kira was caught.

And that was what brought him into the room in the first place.

"I need you to go to the store real quick. I'm low on chocolate." June stared at him incredulously. Not because of the request. Him wanting chocolate was no surprise. It was the fact that he was asking _her_ to go to the store. He usually ran this errand himself.

"I also need some cigarettes while you're there," said Matt. He could tell that Mello was up to something and wanted June out of the way before doing it. Up until now, June had been watched carefully just in case she did something reckless again (although it seemed like the consequences of her last "plan" were still weighing heavily on her mind). But now he just wanted her to leave to do a small errand. Something was up.

June looked between the two guys before consenting and walking out the door. She wasn't sure what they were up to, but she figured that she would find out later if she needed to.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"So that's it? That's your plan?" Matt asked Mello. Mello had waited until June was down the hall to tell Matt everything Hal had told him and his plan to help take Kira down. He was the only one Mello could tell because Matt was the only one who could help him.

Mello nodded, his face devoid of emotion.

"What about June?" Mello's chest tightened painfully at the thought of leaving her behind. But he couldn't allow her to die. She still refused to say when her time expired, but if they were lucky, she would still be alive in time for Near's reveal, but that would only count if he managed to take Kira down at that time. If he got killed by Kira due to an oversight, then it was all for naught.

June needed this in order to live and to finally get some closure on this case that cost her brother his life.

"We don't tell her anything. In fact, if possible, we'll send her over to Near's under the guise that Near needed to meet her face to face. He won't know what we're up to, but hopefully he'll get that I need him to look after her until everything blows over. Then you can go check on her after . . . we get the confirmation we need."

He was resolved to do this. He didn't really want to die, but he had to. If he was right and Near was being fooled by Kira, then everything they did would go to waste. L would never be avenged and June would die. He couldn't allow that to happen now that he was aware of Near's plan.

His main regrets about this all concerned June. He regretted not going after her in the beginning. He regretted hating her for all of these years without finding a reason for her actions. He regretted doing nothing but fight with her the whole time they stayed with each other during the case. He regretted a lot of things.

But the main thing he regretted was the fact that he wouldn't be able to say good-bye to her. If he told her good-bye before his plan went into action, it would send her a red flag and she would not stop pestering until she figured out what he was planning. If she found that out, she would try to stop him. He couldn't afford that. She had to remain in the dark for as long as possible.

Matt understood what Mello was thinking. He didn't want to do this plan, but he couldn't think of a better plan than this. He just hated that it required a sacrifice in order to pull off. And June was sure as hell not going to consent to such a plan.

However, he wasn't sure about whether or not he would live through this plan as well. Call it a sixth sense or whatever, he just had a bad feeling about his own role in this plan. And if they both died, June would be left alone. Well, she would have Near, but Near could only do so much for the woman. And she really cared for the two of them. Matt was worried about what would happen to her after Kira was taken down and they weren't there for her. What would she do?

Suddenly, the two of them heard footsteps walking up to their door. June was back. Their time for discussion was now over.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Later that night, June sat on her bed, looking down at her lap, and thinking. In one of her hands, she held the pendant of her necklace.

She had been thinking over what she knew of the case. Mainly, she was thinking about the stuff Near had told her after their last phone call. Something was definitely wrong with this picture. And she needed to figure out what it was. And she had a gut feeling about where it was she needed to look to find this oversight.

She had spent the last few days thinking. Now, she was done thinking. She had come up with a plan and, for once, had thought out every possible scenario. At least, all the scenarios she could think of. She wasn't like Mello or Near when it came to strategy, so she could only hope for the best.

June took a deep breath. She was painfully aware of her own heartbeat and the air moving in and out of her lungs. She could feel her end coming. But, since Near had yet to specify a date for the final confrontation with Kira, she was going to assume that it wasn't going to be soon enough. However, she still had time for one last act. If there was a problem that would kill everyone despite Near's plans, then everything everyone had done would be in vain and they would be joining her in death. She didn't want that.

With her mind made up, she stood up and started on her preparations.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

June now stood in front of her bedroom door, looking over the hotel room that had acted as their base for the past month. All of their equipment was still out and the guys were nowhere to be seen. She had assumed that they had called it a night. It was 3 am after all.

That was good. This was the preferred method of leaving. She had to leave without telling either of them good-bye or they would try to stop her, despite the fact that she was trying to save them.

Her throat tightened up at the thought. That was her main regret right there. She was going to leave without telling them good-bye. Again. Even if it was for a different reason this time and that she had left something behind, she knew that she was still going to regret not seeing them one last time.

But, her time was almost up. She didn't have many options. She had to act soon. So, without looking back, she walked across the room to the door to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?"

. . . Or not. June turned around to see Matt standing in a shadowy corner, where he was hidden the whole time. Ever since June's depression had started to get worse, Matt had started staying up and hiding in this room, in case June ever had the thought to get up and go in the middle of the night.

He never even told Mello that he was doing this. He figured that if he could talk June out of whatever it was she was thinking of doing, then Mello would never even need to know of this exchange in the first place.

June stared at him, suddenly feeling sad. What should she do now? She wasn't going to drop her plan, but how did one explain to their friend what it was she was planning? Lying was the farthest thing from her mind. She didn't want to lie to him.

She looked down for a moment, and then looked back up. There was only one thing she could do now.

She walked up to Matt until she was only inches from him. Matt noticed the sad expression that had come over her face. Something was wrong, but what? June took a deep breath and pulled him in for a hug. Matt, surprised by the embrace, didn't notice just what she was doing with one of her hands.

"I'm going . . . where you guys can't follow me."

Matt's eyes widened at her words. She wasn't telling him what he thought she was, was she?

Before he could pull out of her embrace to question her, pressure had been applied at a certain point around his shoulder. The last thing he heard as he blacked out was "Good-bye, Matt."

**I know this chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but it was just screaming to stop here. And hopefully, the next chapter will just write itself for me and that you will see it soon.**

**Well, it is late now and I have to study. So please, leave me a review to tell me if this chapter was good or if it sucks. I am mature enough to take criticism and turn it into stuff to do for future stories (unlike Stephanie Meyer, if that one article I read was true).**

**So, peace!**


	42. Chapter 41

**Yes! I got this chapter out before New Year's! I was originally going to have this out earlier, except I was distracted by my two month old nephew. He is so cute!**

**Anyway, I hope you all are having a good time during your holiday break. Consider this as a late Christmas present since I don't have any Christmas specials planned for any story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. June is my OC.**

Chapter 41

Mello slammed his fist on the coffee table, and not for the first time that day. It was now 2 pm on January 23rd and Near hadn't gotten back to them about June's whereabouts. Matt had regained consciousness around 6 am and immediately told Mello what had happened as soon as he remembered.

They were originally going to go out to search the city for her. She couldn't have gone too far, right? That was when they ran into another problem. June had stolen Mello's motorcycle and the distributor cap from Matt's car.

Whatever it was she was planning, she did not want them to be able to follow her and stop her. This was why he had to resort to recruiting Near in the search. They could only cover so much ground by themselves on foot.

Mello tightened his grip around the item in his hand.

What was she up to? And why was she doing this now?

As much as these questions disturbed him, they carried even more weight after he went into her room to look for clues and found two items on her bedside table: her necklace and her iPod. She had left her iPod behind once before, but she never left behind her necklace since L's death. That was what scared him the most.

That combined with what she told Matt, he feared that she was planning something big. A final act. And she didn't want any of them to get in her way and stop her.

Dammit! Did this mean that she was going to die before he went through with his plan? This wasn't supposed to happen. Now they had to find her and stop her before they could kidnap Takada.

Mello looked down at the necklace in his hand. Where was she?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Noon, January 26th. It was then that all hell broke loose.

It started when Matsuda turned the TV on at HQ to find what the biggest news story was that day.

Takada had been kidnapped. According to all of the news channels, Takada had walked into her office to encounter a person, reported to have been a young woman with black hair, who did the incomprehensible: she found a hole in the security that constantly surrounded Takada.

The woman supposedly strong-armed Takada into leaving the building through this hole and had disappeared altogether after getting out of sight of the building. Everyone had been scrambling to find Takada and her kidnapper, but so far, no one had come up with anything.

"Near was right. June was planning something big," said Ide.

"Wait, isn't June supposed to be a blonde?" asked Matsuda.

"She could be wearing a wig. The point is that June is making her move," said Light. Near had warned them that she was going to do something, but he had no way of knowing what. Apparently, June had made recent contact with both Mello and Near, but she had now severed her contacts. No one knew where she was or what she was planning. Until now, that was.

"For someone who was only ranked fifth at Wammy's, she sure was able to pull off something big here," said Matsuda.

Aizawa watched the screen as the news continued the report about the kidnapping. Near had asked them to help track down June and to try to catch her alive as she was a valuable player in the case. But, with the whole world now looking for her, would they be able to bring her in alive?

"Aizawa, I want you to head out and see if you can find anything about the whereabouts of both June and Takada. We can't let any Kira fanatics get to June before we do. Just because the Death Note can't kill her, doesn't mean that bullets or knives can't," said Light. Aizawa studied Light for a moment before leaving.

Since she was the enemy, wouldn't he want to have Kira's followers to find her and kill her? But then, he needed to seem like he wanted her to be saved, so he had to give out such an order.

Oh well. He could think this over later. Right now, he had to ensure that there was one less casualty in this case.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

June sighed as she parked the truck. She wondered what Takada was up to. She hadn't made a peep since she forced her into the back.

Oh well. The door was locked. The only thing back there was Mello's bike and she had the keys.

June rested her hand in her jacket pocket. She didn't mean for things to end up this way, but she had achieved her goal. All she needed to do was get out of here and leave Takada to be found by someone else. She was just going to rest her eyes for a bit. She only had about three hours of sleep the night before.

June had broken into the building at 6 am and managed to remain hidden for several hours until the opportunity to get to Takada's office without being caught. It had worked . . . until Takada walked in.

She had been on her way out, too. So, she did the only thing she could think to do: twist Takada's arm behind her back and lead her out of the building.

So she was now the world's most wanted criminal. But she was going to have to go back to the city. Now that she had confirmed something, she needed to get her confirmation to Mello or Near. And she needed to do it soon. She might have a chance to live if she acted fast enough.

She just needed to get Mello's bike and . . . wait, did she smell smoke?

Her eyes snapped open as she heard the crackling and felt the heat of the fire coming from the back of the truck. She ran out of the truck to see that the whole truck was engulfed in flames. She watched with wide eyes as the flames spread.

How did this happen? Was Takada still alive?

Given the intensity of the flames and the fact that she hadn't been screaming in pain, June had to say that Takada was not alive.

June looked up to see that the church she parked in was also catching on fire. Not wasting any time, she ran out of there, accidentally inhaling some smoke on the way out. She coughed the rest of the way to the field next to the church. When she looked again, the whole church was in flames.

This made her feel a twinge of guilt. She didn't want the church to burn down, but she wasn't able to stop the fire now.

June looked towards the road as she heard sirens of emergency vehicles. She needed to leave now. Without Mello's bike, she was stuck to heading back to the city on foot.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mello couldn't believe the news when he heard it. Takada had been kidnapped by June and her corpse was found in a burning church far from the city.

His only comfort was the fact that June's body had not been found at the scene. That meant that there was still a chance that she was still alive.

It was currently 6:03 pm and he was sitting on the couch, trying to make sense of June's actions. She had kidnapped Takada, which had been his plan. He was afraid that she was copying his plan, except that she couldn't be killed by the Death Note.

Just what was she planning to accomplish when she confronted Takada?

Mello's train of thought was interrupted when Matt came running in with his car keys. They had replaced the distributor cap since June left.

"Near said that June was spotted somewhere in the city by Takada's former guards and that they're trying to gun her down," he said. Mello jumped up from the couch.

"Is he sure it's June?" Matt nodded.

"Yes. We need to go find her now before they get her," said Matt. Mello nodded and followed Matt out the door.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

June was running as the evening light of the sun covered the city.

She had almost gotten in clean. She had screwed up on taking a main road back in after stealing a car. It had been reported and she was forced to ditch it just outside of the city. Unfortunately, she had been recognized by Takada's former security and they had since proceeded to chase her with guns.

She had been running for the past twenty minutes. She had just lost her pursuers about ten minutes ago. Maybe she would be able to just walk casually. Despite being on the news, many people didn't know her face and she could just wear her hood up to prevent people from seeing the black hair.

June had decided on this as she flipped her hood up, slowed to a walk, and turned the corner to leave the alley she was in and went on the blend in on the crowded sidewalk.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Matt and Mello had been driving for the past fifteen minutes and hadn't been able to spot June. They had seen her pursuers, but it seemed like even they had lost track of her.

"Do you think she managed to find a good hiding spot? Maybe she got back to the hotel and is waiting for us?" asked Matt, although even he didn't believe that she was able to make to the hotel as of now.

Mello was silent as he scanned the street, sidewalk, and alleyways for their friend. She had to be okay. She wasn't allowed to die on them. Especially on him.

Matt turned onto a busy street and mentally groaned when he saw how crowded the sidewalk was. It would take a miracle to find one person in that crowd without driving slow enough to warrant suspicion from anyone.

That was when they heard someone scream and then a cloud of smoke appeared at the end of the street. Matt slammed on the brakes when he saw the smoke cover the sidewalk and much of the street. Then came the gunshots. Before they could think about why there would be gunshots, a figure with black hair and a blue jacket came running out of the smoke.

It was June! They found her alive!

She apparently didn't notice them as she continued to run across the street and into another alley. Matt couldn't help but notice that she was clutching her arm. He was afraid that she got hit by one of the bullets.

Quickly finding a parking spot on the street, the two of them jumped out of the car and ran in the direction she disappeared to.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SHIT! That wasn't supposed to happen. She was just a few blocks away from the hotel that she, Matt, and Mello had been using as HQ, when suddenly one of her pursuers had shown up and ordered her to halt.

Knowing that a confrontation was inevitable, she reached into her pocket and grabbed a gas grenade that she had snagged from Matt's stuff. The moment her hood was flipped off, she had set off the gas grenade. She had almost gotten out, except that the bodyguard already had his gun drawn and she wasn't quick enough to completely dodge the first bullet.

She was pretty sure it only grazed her left arm, but it was a deep cut for a graze.

After that, she ran across the street and into the alley. She would have to bandage her arm after she was in the clear.

She had no path in mind. She wasn't even sure where she was heading anymore. She just kept running through the back alleys. Even though she was tired, she kept running.

Finally, she turned another corner, intending to rest for a bit, but she never got the chance. As soon as she was completely in the alley, someone had appeared at the other end. Before she could give this person much thought, she heard someone behind her yelling at the top of their lungs.

"JUNE!" At the sound of _that_ voice screaming her name, she turned her head to look over her shoulder.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mello and Matt had been running for what felt like forever. But it had only been a few minutes. They managed to find a blood trail, which must have been from June's injury, and they had been following that through the back alleys.

The problem was that they were losing light, so the trail was getting harder to see.

They turned another corner and they finally found her. She was running away from them, but she was still okay. She ran around yet another corner and they picked up their speed.

As Mello neared the alleyway June disappeared into, he screamed at the top of his voice, "JUNE!"

And then, he heard a sound that made his stomach drop to the ground.

_BANG!_

**Yes! I am being very evil with this cliffhanger! Oh, I said that I was going to have fun with this.**

**I hope that you found this chapter enjoyable. I know I had enjoyed writing the last part, since I had it planned since before the Wammy arc.**

**I'll try to update before next semester begins so you guys won't be waiting in agony for a month. I have the next scene all in my head, so a writer's block shouldn't be an issue.**

**Well, that's all I have to say. Please review, tell me what you think, and Happy New Year in case I don't update in the next few days.**


	43. Chapter 42

**Hello! And welcome to Chapter 42. I had managed to get this chapter out before next semester begins. Classes for me start again on Monday, so I'll try to get out the chapter after this before then, but I make no guarantees. **

**Anyway, this is the chapter that I have made you guys wait in suspense for. Was it evil of me to do that? Hell yeah it was, and I had fun doing it, but now is the time for me to be nice or we'll never get any closure in this story.**

**So, even though odds are some of you had skipped this AN in anticipation of this chapter, here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. June is my OC.**

Chapter 42

Fear grasped Mello in an icy grip as he heard that single gunshot. He ran the last few feet and slid to a stop as he reached the alley June disappeared into.

As he stared at the scene before him, it felt as though time had stopped.

It was the same for June. She heard the gunshot and felt the bullet as it hit her in the chest. However, it didn't sink in that she got shot until she slowly turned her head back around and looked down to see her blood staining her blue jacket.

She could feel herself falling backwards, but it felt as though it took her hours to finally hit the ground. In her shock, she found that she couldn't move. But she did find that it was becoming painful to breathe and that she was coughing up blood.

Mello stood there speechless. It wasn't until June had hit the ground that he actually sprang into action.

He looked forward and saw that it was one of Takada's former security guards who shot June. He was taking aim to shoot her again when Mello pulled out his own gun and shot him. The guard went down. He didn't show any signs of movement as Mello ran up to June.

"June!" Mello knelt down as he examined the damage. She had been shot in the chest and the blood was coming out fast. Her breaths were shallow and painful and blood was trickling out of the corner of her mouth. The graze on her left arm was still bleeding as well.

It was then that it hit Mello. The fact that June was really dying here. He sat on his knees and pulled June onto his lap and to his chest.

"June . . . June! Come on! Answer me!" he said, his voice full of panic. Matt stood next to him, unable to believe what was really happening.

June looked up at him, hardly believing who was calling her. How did Mello find her? He wasn't supposed to know where she was.

"Mello . . . how did . . ."

"Don't talk. We'll get you some help. Just hang in there!" interrupted Mello. This couldn't be happening. This shouldn't be happening. But, no matter how many times he told himself that, fact was June was dying.

Matt, once he was able to shake off the shock, pulled out his phone to call Near. Near would be able to get them some help on short notice.

"Mello . . . I'm sorry . . ." said June.

"Shut up, June! You don't need to apologize! You just need to live!" said Mello. His voice was starting to crack. It had almost sounded like she was going to say goodbye there.

June stared up at him with eyes blurred with pain, but she complied nonetheless. She looked up past him as she thought about the fact that she didn't want Mello to see her die should that have happened. Sadly, there was nothing she could do about it now.

That was when she saw a certain figure. He was far away, but she was still able to recognize him. He was someone she now hated.

"June, Matt called Near. You're going to a hospital. You're going to be okay," said Mello, making June focus on him again.

As she looked back up at him, she couldn't help but think back to when she first met him and Matt and everything after that. Maybe this was the whole "life flash before your eyes" thing.

_You were lucky that time. Just wait until I get serious._

_Yeah, well, I don't know how or if your brother even knows about this place like you say he does, but there's no way that he's anywhere near L's level._

_Whatever, just don't get in my way._

_I'll have you know that I happen to be ranked above you! I have a better chance of claiming L's title than you do._

_WHAT DO YOU MEAN AM I A BOY OR A GIRL! I'M A BOY! ARE YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING?_

_I don't need your help. I can take the sheep down on my own. Now leave me alone._

_What makes you think that I'll play?_

_That's it! You're going down!_

_Yeah, well, just stay warm for now._

_June! What the hell?_

_No, you're not. You can't even stand up. Did you twist your ankle or something?_

_So stop resisting and let us help you. That will make things easier if you stop being so damn stubborn._

_WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?_

_If I didn't care, would I have crawled through the fucking vents to try to talk some sense into you?_

_Are you going to say what the hell your problem is, or are you just going to sit here and sulk some more like a little baby?_

_Eh, he's been getting on my nerves for a while now. It was about time that someone taught him a lesson. I'm just surprised that you weren't the one threatening him with an ass-kicking._

_Will you help me?_

_Because you're my friend . . ._

_Happy Birthday._

_Come on, it's almost dinner and don't you dare say you're not hungry._

_You hate being alone! So tell me what the hell is wrong!_

She saw that she had caused him a lot of grief. However, she didn't think there was anything she could do to make up for all of that. She could only do two things at this point.

"Mello . . . I'm sorry . . . for everything . . ."

"June, I said don't talk!" June reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the confirmation she had been looking for that morning. She reached out and put it in his hand when he reached for hers.

"This is . . . what you and Near need for the case . . . you especially need to tell Near . . . with what he's planning . . . he needs to know . . ." June coughed up more blood again.

Mello took the item without even looking at it. He was too busy watching June. Why was she talking as though she was dying?

"I believe I can help," said a new voice. Matt and Mello quickly looked to see that, at the end of the alley, was Aizawa from the Task Force.

Mello instinctively pulled June in closer to him. What was someone from the Task Force doing here? Matt had called Near for help.

"Look, I'm not here to arrest you. Near has given me orders to try to find June and bring her in alive," said Aizawa. Matt did not drop his guard.

"How do we know you're not lying about Near?" he asked.

"She needs to go to the hospital now! The only person who wants her dead is Kira. I have my car out on the curb here. I will make sure that she lives," promised Aizawa. Mello glared at him. But then he looked down at June as her breathing became more labored.

". . . Fine. Lead us to your car," Mello decided. He got up and carefully cradled June in his arms. He followed Aizawa to the car and carefully laid June out in the backseat. He didn't get in the car with her. The Task Force would never let him see her after she got admitted. He knew that much.

So he and Matt were stuck standing on the sidewalk and watching as Aizawa sped off to the nearest hospital with June in tow. They continued to stand there as the street lights turned on and as the sun had finally set.

What they weren't aware of was the being flying high above them, watching as these events unfolded with a smirk on his face.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mello was pacing back and forth in the hotel room, waiting. It was the only thing he could do and he hated it.

Near had been informed of June being taken in by Aizawa in critical condition. Last they heard, she had made it to a hospital, but they had yet to receive news of how she was doing. She had been admitted at least five hours ago.

Mello groaned and plopped down on the couch. When was Near going to get news and relay it to him?

Matt walked in from June's room, carrying an envelope. He saw Mello digging his fingers into his scalp and sighed. A disaster really had happened considering that Matt wasn't playing his video games and Mello hadn't touched a chocolate bar in hours.

He walked over to Mello and placed the envelope on the side table next to the couch. When Mello didn't respond, Matt spoke up.

"She left a note on top of the door frame." Mello looked up at Matt and then down at the note.

"I didn't open it," said Matt. Mello took the note and examined it. It had some weight in it, indication that there wasn't just paper in the envelope. Taking a deep breath, Mello gently tore it open and reached in.

He was surprised to find, not only a note, but a silver bracelet as well. The same bracelet he once gave June for her birthday back at Wammy's. Disregarding the note entirely, he picked up the bracelet.

It was indeed the same one he gave her before. He didn't know that she still had it. Why was she leaving this behind?

Looking at the bracelet, he couldn't help but think back to when they were all at Wammy's. They had fought in the beginning, but they still somehow became close friends without him realizing it.

_Well then, you better get serious now because I'm not going to wait._

_My brother . . . is actually a detective._

_If you have something to say, then say it to my face. Unless you're too much of a coward to do even that._

_I don't give a damn what rank you are! I'll beat your sorry ass, no matter who you think you are!_

_I just have to ask this: are you a boy or a girl?_

_Why are you two staring at a door? Honestly, someone's going to think you guys have finally lost it or something._

_Hey dumbass! I'm over here!_

_HEY! GIVE ME BACK MY CD PLAYER, YOU ASS! NOW BEFORE I BEAT YOUR SCRAWNY ASS AND THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW!_

_Why don't you have some fun once in a while?_

_What the hell, Mello? I said I wasn't hungry! Let go of me! MELLO!_

_I just wanted to say thanks._

_I'm going to get you guys for this later._

_I noticed that you had one, but it was broken, so I got you a new one._

_That had got to be the stupidest, immature prank I've heard of. Not to mention obvious . . . I'm in._

_What? I get back and the first thing you say isn't a hello? Did you think that you could get rid of me that easily? Well, think again!_

_I told you it wasn't anything I couldn't walk off._

_You needed to cool off. You get too worked up about this stuff._

_Well, if you're done with being a PMSing man-bitch this time around, I believe that Matt's waiting for us._

_Oh my God, then it's the beginning of the apocalypse! Quick Matt! Run for your life!_

_Did you ever get the feeling that something bad was about to happen?_

_I just felt like being alone lately. Is there a problem with that?_

_Mello . . . I'm sorry . . ._

Mello shook his head, trying to get rid of that last image of June. Soaked in blood and dying in his arms.

It was the image that had been haunting him for the past five hours. No matter how hard he tried, that image just wouldn't leave him alone. It was always present in some corner of his mind, waiting to get his full attention again.

What was taking Near so long to report to them? Surely, she would have been treated by now?

Matt sat down on the couch, next to his friend and in front of the computer. He was just as anxious as Mello. He wanted to know the fate of their friend, even though she had been critically wounded when he last saw her. Still, anything was better than not knowing.

Ten years ago, if anyone had told him that the new girl at Wammy's would one day sacrifice herself for the sake of him and Mello getting out of a case alive, he never would have believed that. He was still having a hard time believing the sight he saw five hours ago.

June was always a short person with a petite frame. It had sometimes made people think of her as a kid even though she was already 18. But she had never looked so small or fragile as she did when she was bleeding out in Mello's arms.

It had him shaken. The possibility of her dying had always been there due to her bet, but it had never seemed so real until that moment.

Suddenly, the computer beeped. Near was finally calling them. Matt wasted no time in allowing the connection, and the familiar albino appeared on the screen. He had a look of indifference on his face like always.

Mello snapped his head up when he heard the computer beep and Matt opening up the connection.

"Is June okay?" was the first thing Mello asked, not hiding his concern. Near was silent for a moment as he closed his eyes, as though contemplating what to say.

Finally, he dropped the bomb.

_I'm sorry . . . she's dead._

**How many of you guys hate me now? I'm guessing a lot of you, since you guys have been rooting for June finally getting together with Mello throughout this story.**

**In any case, we still have one more chapter in which to tie up loose ends. What will Matt and Mello do? How will this case be wrapped up for everyone else?**

**All of that and more will be revealed in the next chapter.**


	44. Chapter 43

**Here we are! Chapter 43! I was going to have this posted up earlier today, but I ended up being busier than expected from the start of this weekend, even though it was a three day weekend. But you guys don't want to hear my excuses, so I'll just move on ahead here.**

**I hope you all don't hate me too much for that last chapter because you're really going to want to read this chapter. It contains some important information.**

**I'm not saying anything more than that.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. June is my OC.**

Chapter 43

January 28. 12:56.

That was when Matt and Mello pulled up at the warehouse Near had specified. After doing as June had asked, Near told Mello that he was planning to end it here and that everyone involved in the case should attend. Especially since they had helped solve one final problem before today.

Mello only decided to come because he wanted to see this case finally end.

He and Matt walked into the only entrance of the building. Shutting the door behind them, they saw Near and his group already at one end of the warehouse. And Near was wearing an L mask. This did not help Mello's already foul mood.

"Mello, Matt, so glad you guys can make it," said Near. Mello glared at him.

"Let's just get this over with. The sooner Kira is caught, the better," snapped Mello. He honestly did not want to be working with Near when Kira was finally caught with solid evidence, but he couldn't care anymore. He just wanted to avenge June along with L now.

Mello and Matt stood next to the SPK members and waited for the Task Force to show up. Mogi had tensed upon seeing him, since he had been a criminal throughout the case, but he relaxed a little when Mello made no other move.

Near was eyeing Mello from behind his mask. He could tell that Mello was still grieving from the loss, but he was trying to put that aside now in order to move the case forward. It was something that the common person might consider to be cruel or cold-hearted to do, but if Kira wasn't caught, then June's sacrifice was for naught, and that was the cruelest thing they could do now in Near's opinion. Especially since she had made a bet with a shinigami in order to try to solve the case, despite the large risk of losing her life if they should failed.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"_That's not true." That was the first thing Mello said after a long silence. Near had just delivered the bad news._

_Near wanted it to be a lie as well. June was one of the few people he actually considered as a friend of his. Plus, with how apparent L had treasured his younger sister, it felt as though they had let their idol down when it came to her protection. It was another battle that Kira had won and the loss was heavy._

_But, when L-Kira had called to let him know that she had died in their custody, he was furious even though he didn't show it. He had no doubt that Aizawa had intended to save her life, but in the condition she had been admitted in, it would have been easy for Kira to just let her die when no one was paying attention, even if the Death Note couldn't kill her. He had no doubt that this was Kira's doing._

_Kira didn't care what she knew. He just knew that he needed her dead before she got into contact with him or Mello. He had lost in that respect, but he achieved one of his goals: her death._

_And now, he was left to deliver the news to Mello, as well as get a possible explanation for her last act. If anyone knew at this point, it would be him and Matt. Of course, that was if he could get Mello past the denial and anger stages of grief._

"_That can't be true! You have been giving orders to Aizawa, so she should have gone under your care. You wouldn't have let her die!" screamed Mello. He knew that there was no reason for Near to lie to him about this, but he just couldn't wrap his head around it._

_Matt slumped against the couch, not knowing what to say. He had just lost someone who was the equivalent of a little sister. The loss was surprising staggering for an orphan who didn't have a family for the longest time. Maybe it was because he didn't have too many other people he could consider as family that the loss was that much more painful. His throat tightened and his vision became blurry behind his goggles at the fact that she was gone._

_Mello . . . he didn't lose a little sister. He had lost the only woman he ever cared about, and it wasn't until she was actually gone that he realized just how much he cared for her._

_And he would never have the chance to tell her. His heart clenched at the thought._

"_Unfortunately, when she got to the hospital, the Task Force had taken her into their custody and monitored her condition. I had no idea as to her progress until L called to say that she didn't make it," said Near, who sounded a bit bitter about the fact._

_That was when denial was replaced with anger. Kira must have killed her. Or at least made sure the doctors couldn't save her when no one was paying attention._

_However, whether that was the case or if this was brought on as the consequence of her bet, he had no way of knowing. But it felt better to think that Kira had killed her. After all, it was his actions that had led her to her death._

"_I know that you aren't in any state to be answering questions, but I need to know if you know the reasons behind June's final actions. It is important to know if she had come up with something that we might've overlooked in this case," said Near._

_Mello thought to the item that she had given him. He never once looked at it due to the circumstances. He just put it in his pocket and didn't give it another thought. And then there was the note she left before going off to kidnap Takada._

_He reached into his pocket and pulled out the item. He didn't comprehend it at first, but then his eyes widened as he thought about what he was holding._

"_It is important that we bring this case to a close with whatever she might have uncovered. If Kira wins, her sacrifice will end up being worthless," said Near. Clenching his other fist, Mello took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. Then he told Near everything. Including June's bet._

_A half an hour later, Near had cut off the connection, after having been filled in and telling Mello of the meeting on the 28__th__. He stood there for a long while. Then, he flipped the coffee table in a fit of anguish, surprising Matt, and stormed into his room, where he stayed for the rest of the night._

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It didn't take too much longer before Aizawa and Matsuda entered through the door. They didn't stay long. Aizawa just looked at them and then made a quick scan of the warehouse. Then they left to inform Light that the conditions had been met. Mello's gaze never left the door after they left. He just wanted to catch Kira already and make him pay for what he did to June.

Meanwhile, Aizawa and Matsuda reentered the car.

"How is it, Aizawa?" asked Ide from the middle backseat.

"It's just as he said. I didn't pick up any wires or anything, either," said Aizawa.

"Huh? But . . ." Matsuda started to protest.

"No buts. Everything checks out. The people inside are Near, Mello, and the others. No doubt about it," said Aizawa. Near had informed them the day before that Mello was going to join in because, with his involvement in the case, he had every right to attend without getting arrested.

So, without further ado, everyone, with the exception of one person, got out of the car.

"Matsuda, you can go ahead and take your time out here. We'll go on ahead inside, but don't rush," cautioned Light. Matsuda nodded as he opened the trunk to retrieve something, but not before glancing through the back window with pity.

The Task Force entered the warehouse to see the SPK, Mogi, and Mello with his accomplice. Just as Near said.

Mello glared at Light from his spot. This was the man who started all of this. First, he starts playing God by killing everyone he deemed unfit to live, but that was hardly the reason he hated Kira for. No, he hated Kira for killing L, his idol and one of the only people that had his respect. And he hated him even more for causing June's death. In fact, that was now the biggest reason he hated Kira for.

He wanted nothing more than to pull out his gun and kill him, right here, right now. But, L would never have approved of that. That was no way to end a case. June also wouldn't have forgiven him for taking such an action at the end of a case they were sure to win anyway.

So, for that reason only, he ignored his want to kill the man where he stood. He would have to be satisfied with him being put away in the darkest hole he and Near could find for the rest of his miserable life.

Meanwhile, Light was staring at Near with a frown on his face. He was angry about the fact that Near was wearing an L mask over his face.

_Near, you're far inferior to L. You have no right to be wearing L's mask,_ he thought.

"L . . . Those four in the suits are the SPK . . . and the one with the mask is Near. I'm sure of it," said Aizawa.

"Yes. I was with Near even before he put the mask on, so I assure you, it's him," confirmed Mogi.

"Aizawa . . . Mogi, whether this is the real Near or not is of no interest to me," said Light. He didn't need them to tell him that Near was wearing the mask. That was the whole reason for the mask. It was because he was Near that he wore a mask with L's face on it.

"L, I can't help but notice that Matsuda did not come back in. I trust that there is a good reason for this," said Near. Light stared at him.

"Yes. You said that everyone involved in the case should be here. We have someone who agreed with you on that, despite the circumstances," said Light.

"What are you talking about?" asked Mello. He was suspicious now. There shouldn't be another person in the Task Force. They had been monitoring them closely for months. They would have noticed an extra person on the case.

"What I'm saying is that we had lied a few days ago about the well-being of your friend," said Light, although his face didn't show any remorse for the action.

Mello's eyes widened in disbelief. They couldn't be serious, could they? Was it true?

Suddenly, the door opened again. It was Matsuda, but he wasn't alone. He was rolling in a wheelchair.

Mello's eyes widened as he saw who was in the wheelchair.

Matsuda turned around to close the warehouse door. Then he continued to push the wheelchair all the way to where the Task Force stood. Then he turned it around so that the person could face the SPK.

Mello said nothing as he stood there. He managed to wipe the emotion from his face after a moment, but the fact was that he was shocked.

She looked paler than what was normal for anyone, including Near. Her breathing was a bit shallow and ragged, which showed that she shouldn't be up so soon. Her left arm was bandaged and in a sling, and there was a small oxygen tank attached to the back of her wheelchair in case she needed it. But she was, nonetheless, alive.

There, sitting the wheelchair was none other than June.

**Okay, now how many of you hate me for faking you out about June's death? I kind of did it as a spur of the moment thing because I didn't want it to be obvious if she would live to see the end of this story or not, so I dropped a bunch of hints that would have stated that she died, ending with Near's blunt statement at the end. I also lied about there being only one chapter left, which I wasn't sure if I needed to do or not. I caved at the temptation to pull one final twist on you guys.**

**However, when I read the reviews that followed the chapter, I was afraid that I had been a bit too mean about the fake-out. **

**All-in-all, I was pleased that I was able to shock you all, since that was what I was going for, but I'm sorry about tricking you guys like that. That might have been too mean of me to do.**

**Anyway, from what I'm seeing, there's actually about two more chapters left to this story. Classes have started for me, but I will try to get the next chapter out within the next two weeks (I say a week, but then there'll be something to pull me away from my laptop, making me miss my self-appointed deadline).**

**So, please review and tell me what you think. I am prepared for about anything you throw at me.**

**Until next time!**


	45. Chapter 44

**Leave it to me to miss my own self-appointed deadline. *face palms***

**I feel stupid for that. Anyway, considering how much more happens in the warehouse, when I tried to fit it all in one chapter, it got a bit too long in my opinion, so I divided it up. So there is one more chapter than I originally predicted. But not to worry, considering that I already have that chapter over halfway finished, it will be out shortly.**

**So, without further ado, here's the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. June is my OC.**

Chapter 44

She was there. She shouldn't have left the hospital so soon and she looked like she could keel over, but _she was there_. Right in front of him. Her blue jacket was gone as well as the shirt she was wearing when she got shot. She was only wearing a plain grey t-shirt and sweatpants. Her hair looked ragged as it settled past her shoulders and a few strands of blondish-brown were starting to peek through the black hair dye. She looked tired, but she was alive.

Mello couldn't take his eyes off of her. Why did Kira lie about her death?

"Why did you lie to me about her dying at the hospital, then, L? I don't see the need to do so when we were going to be gathering here, anyway," said Near, who made no visible reaction to June's appearance (but he was wearing a mask, so it was hard to tell).

"I apologize for that, but Aizawa had said that Mello was in the area when he found her and we thought that, if we told you she was still alive, you would have told Mello and Mello would have tried taking her from our custody. This was before you told us that he was going to be here as well," said Light, still showing no real remorse for his actions. To be frank, he wished that she had died at the hospital. But she got lucky when the doctors said that she had been admitted in time.

He could have caused some kind of complication that would have made her die on the hospital bed, but he was being watched carefully and he had to pretend to want her alive so that he could question her. Besides, everyone except him was going to die today anyway. Even though she had no name, she couldn't avoid death forever.

Light took a small glance at her. She looked like she was already knocking on Death's door just by sitting in that wheelchair. Killing her without the Death Note wasn't going to be a problem. Besides, he learned something very interesting from questioning her yesterday.

"I see. Considering that we're all here anyway, I suppose the lie doesn't matter anymore," said Near in the same monotone voice. Mello nearly bristled with rage. It didn't matter? For nearly two days, he thought that she was dead and had been beating himself up for everything he didn't do to stop it from happening. For two days, he sat in his hotel room in anguish because he thought he'd never see her again. And that didn't matter?

As much as he wanted to voice his rage over that, Matt lightly elbowed him in the ribs. When Mello looked over, Matt was giving him a look that told him to stay quiet. This matter could be addressed afterwards. Mello said nothing, but he also didn't cause a scene, meaning that he got the message.

Matt, on the other hand, was glad that it all turned out to be a lie. While it looked like June never should have stepped out of her hospital bed, her deadline hadn't come up yet. She had a chance to live.

"Now then, let's get down to business," said Near.

"Wait a minute," said Matsuda, "I don't care who he accuses of being Kira, but that mask proves that he's trying to protect only himself!" Matt was even more relieved when he saw June roll her eyes at this. Even during this confrontation, she was acting a bit like her old self.

"Matsuda, Near thinks I'm Kira, so it can't be helped," said Light.

"But he was talking so much about seeing you face to face. It doesn't seem fair!" complained Matsuda.

"I'm telling you, Near has his own ideas about what's going on here, so it's not going to help if we complain about it. Let's just get on with this," said Light. He was aware of the girl watching him carefully from where she sat, but it didn't matter to him. All her efforts were going to prove to have been wasted. It was her fault for going against Kira.

"This mask is just insurance," said Near.

"Insurance?" asked Matsuda.

And thus Near explained his theory of the scenario in which everyone's names, except for his and June's, were already written in the notebook given that it was planned to meet here three days ago. He was confident that Kira didn't know his face, so he wouldn't be killed. And June's unusual circumstances prevented her from being killed by the Death Note. Although, Near was ready to point out, in the state June was in, a Death Note wasn't required to kill her. She glared at him for that. She already hated the fact that she was basically helpless in her position. She didn't need him to point that out.

"So please, give me an hour – no, 30 minutes – to be sure that no one here is already marked to die by the notebook," said Near.

"Wh-What, so you're waiting to see if we die?" Matsuda didn't like that.

"That's okay. We'll let Near do as he likes. If not, we won't be able to clear things up," said Light.

And so they started to play the waiting game. It probably would have been in complete silence if not for the fact that Light wanted to ask Near something.

"Near, you, Mello, and June all came from the same orphanage. Would I be correct in assuming that June is a friend of yours?" asked Light. Near was wondering where he was going with this question.

"I can't say that we were that close, and I don't see how this question is relevant to the case," said Near. Mello said nothing. There was no point in divulging that kind of information now, so where was Kira going with this?

"I was just wondering if you knew that her older brother was L," said Light. Mello's eyes widened. Why would June tell him that? She wouldn't tell anyone that for years even after his death. Near was also surprised.

"Yes, I did know that already, and I have to say that I'm surprised that you managed to get her to tell you that," said Near, calm as always.

"Actually, she didn't. I came to the conclusion by myself," said Light. Was it just June, or did he sound a bit smug about that?

"You told us that she had a connection to L, something that no one else at the orphanage had. When we heard that she had an older brother who was killed by Kira, we assumed that was the connection. But I didn't come to the conclusion that her brother and L was the same person until yesterday while questioning her." Yes, everyone in the Task Force remembered what had happened yesterday when questioning her.

"Plus, even though she's not his exact copy, I was able to see some small resemblance between the two of them. She didn't even deny that she was L's sister when I asked," said Light.

"That's not surprising. Out of all of us, June is the most honest. In fact, if you were to think about everything she told Mogi when she was tailing Misa, you might find that there had been some truth in her statements. I'm not sure if she's even capable of lying," said Near.

"You know, I'm sitting right here. No need to talk as if I wasn't," said June, who was getting annoyed by that.

"Anyway, despite her honesty and the way she acts sometimes, June is actually L's true heir. L had taught her everything he knew. She should have been the one to lead this investigation. However, she had repeatedly stated in the past that she had no interest in the position, so, even though she was ranked 5th at Wammy's, she was supposed to be here anyway as a consultant of some kind," said Near. Everyone was silent for a moment.

"What I don't get is why you don't want to succeed L?" Matsuda asked June directly, causing her to look over her shoulder and up at him.

"He was your brother. Wouldn't you have wanted to continue his legacy?" he asked her. June said nothing as she stared up at him. After a few seconds, she turned her head back around to face the front, not answering his question.

"I believe June has her own personal reasons for not wanting the position. If she doesn't want to say what they are, then she shouldn't have to. Now, if that is all you have to ask about this matter, I suggest we finish waiting for the half hour to past," said Near.

Everyone fell silent as they waiting game resumed. During that time, Aizawa couldn't help but notice the fact that Mello would keep returning his gaze to June.

Finally, Matsuda spoke up.

"Near, it's been more than 30 minutes now, and nothing's happened."

"Of course. That's because Kira isn't here," said Light.

"Very well . . . it seems that you are all safe. I'll go ahead and take the mask off then." True to his word, Near took his mask off. He didn't look any different than when June last saw him. He smirked at Light.

"Okay, so now that you've taken the mask off, what are you going to show us?" asked Matsuda. June sighed. As entertaining as he had been while he was watching her at the hospital, he was starting to get annoying now.

"I'm sorry. But you're going to have to wait again," said Near.

"Wait again? What are we waiting for?" asked Matsuda impatiently.

"For the one who'll solve everything to arrive." Near went on to explain (with his finger puppets, no less) how there was only one way for Mikami to enter the warehouse to try to kill them, and how Kira was using Takada to contact Mikami about the meeting and when Takada was killed, Kira had no way of contacting him again. He went on about how Mikami had been the one carrying out Kira's judgments and would no doubt bring the notebook with him. Once he got here, he would try to kill everyone here with the notebook.

Matsuda and Ide were shaken up by the fact.

"I . . . I don't get it. What are you talking about? That third party is going to bring the notebook here to kill us?" said Matsuda.

"And you're asking us to just stand here and watch?" said Ide.

"That's right," said Near. June sighed. She understood that it didn't sound like an ideal plan with the risk involved, but there was no point in fighting it now. The plan was already in motion.

Aizawa and Mogi agreed to do as Near said, much to the surprise of Matsuda and Ide. June, however, wasn't paying attention to them anymore at that point. No, she was much more interested in the door that was now cracked opened.

"He's already here," said Near, bringing everyone else's attention to the door. Matsuda, after a moment of shock, started to reach for his gun. The SPK, seeing the movement, pulled their guns out on him.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Matsuda . . ." He looked down as a hand grabbed his sleeve. June was looking up at him, her eyes not giving anything away.

"Don't worry. We're not going to die. This is part of the plan," she said. Light frowned at her. He thought that she wasn't privy to Near's plan, but apparently she had been contacted by him before. Oh well, it wasn't going to matter. Kira was still going to win.

"She's right. We won't die, even if our names our written down. What's going to happen is that Kira's identity will finally be revealed," said Near.

"H-How can you be so sure that we won't die, Near?" asked Aizawa.

"I've tampered with the notebook," said Near. As Near explained how he managed to do so, June looked across the room and Mello and Matt. They looked about as calm as she was about the whole thing. That must mean that they managed to relay her message to Near. So everything should work out just fine.

A few seconds passed before Kira spoke up.

"To the one outside, did you write the names down in the notebook?"

"Yes, I did," answered Mikami.

"That's strange," commented Near, "Why would he reply in earnest, 'Yes, I did,' when you asked him if he wrote the names down?" June knew where he was going with that question. Of course Kira was going to have an explanation for it.

"Who knows? Maybe he's honest, or is confident for some reason? It may even be that he knows you plan," he said.

"Huh? Then that means we're all doomed," said Matsuda. June tugged at his sleeve again.

"Like I said, don't worry." Despite his shortcomings, L had spoken highly of everyone on the Task Force, so she could at least try to reassure the man that everything was going to be okay.

Eventually, Light got Mikami to come inside. And the guy looked like he just found the freaking Holy Grail.

"How many seconds has it been since you wrote the first name down?" asked Light. Mikami checked his watch.

"35, 36, 37 . . ." This was it. This was the moment everyone worked for.

"38 . . ." Mello looked over at June. She looked calm as the man counted down the last few seconds. Her eyes met his as well.

"39 . . ."

"I win, Near." She smirked at him. Yes! They got the confession! Now to survive the last second.

"40!"

**Not really that much of a cliffhanger for anyone who read the manga (I'm assuming that's everyone who is now reading this story), but it seemed like a good place to split the chapter.**

**So, please review and tell me what you think and keep an eye out for the next chapter because it's going to be posted in a few short hours as I'm on the verge of finishing it.**


	46. Chapter 45

**Like I said, this came out a couple of hours after the last one. Since a lot of time didn't pass between the two updates, I'm just going to go ahead and get right to it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. June is my OC.**

Chapter 45

Everyone froze as Mikami counted off the last second. Even Matt would admit to feeling a bit anxious during the last few seconds. Hey, you would feel tense if you listened to a guy count off what was supposed to be the last seconds of your life as well.

However, as more seconds passed and nobody dropped dead, everyone started to relax. While some had looks of relief on their faces, two displayed disbelief. Guess who wasn't feeling so cocky anymore?

"Why won't they die?" asked Mikami. He looked at Light desperately.

"G-God . . . I-I did as you told me." Light looked mad and confused. Why didn't his plan work? It was flawless! Everything had gone according to plan!

Near's men apprehended Mikami, who dropped the notebook as he was handcuffed. Gevanni retrieved the notebook and handed to Near at his request.

"See for yourselves." He then showed the latest names in the Death Note. And what do you know, guess who _wasn't_ on that list?

"The only name that is missing from this list is Light Yagami. Mikami called you 'God' and said he did as you told him to. This proves it," said Near, watching Light for any signs of what he might do next.

June was watching him as well, but she didn't expect such a cold, calculating enemy to suddenly go berserk.

"A TRAP! THIS IS A TRAP! Near set this whole thing up to frame me! It's impossible that nobody's dead even after their names are written in the notebook. That proves that this is a trap!" he shouted.

"But I told you that nobody would die because I replaced the pages," said Near. June watched as Kira denied having anything to do with Mikami and tripping over some of his words. He ran off towards the side when Aizawa and Mogi tried to handcuff him as well. He stood there against the wall, looking like a trapped animal.

Near then explained that Light actually almost won, and that he did as Light had thought he would . . . until he replaced the real Death Note entirely. He even pulled out the real Death Note out of his shirt and had a conversation with Ryuk about being able to use small, ripped up pieces of the Death Note to kill people.

"I'm surprised that wasn't one of the questions you asked me when you badgered me about the rules regarding the use of the Death Note, _June,_" said Ryuk. Everyone looked at her in surprised. Well, most people did. Near, Mello, and Matt knew about the fact that she struck a bargain with a shinigami and that it was likely that it was the one following Kira who sealed the deal with her. This was just the first time they heard someone else confirm it.

"Wait! You can see Ryuk?" asked Matsuda. It was something no one thought to ask her when she was being questioned. After all, she never touched the Death Note, so it should have been impossible.

"Oh, that's right. You didn't know. Then again, she hadn't been so keen on talking with me yesterday. I thought she was just mad at me for something, but I guess she didn't want the cat to be out of the bag yet. Anyway, she asked about ownership and the like, but never about tearing pages out of the notebook. Ain't that right?" asked Ryuk. June glared at him. She had been mad at him two nights ago when she thought that he either set the deadline after her natural time of death or that he forgot which day they made the deal on. Or he wrote her name down early on purpose just for kicks. She knew now that none of those were the case, but she still didn't like the scare.

Light looked just as surprised. He was wracking through his brain to see at what point she could have had the Death Note. That was the only way for her to see him. She had been in their custody since she had been shot, and the switch didn't occur until afterwards, as Near claimed. Just what was happening?

Near waved the whole issue off for the moment. That could be discussed later. Right now, the important thing was apprehending Kira now that they had undeniable proof.

"Light Yagami. You are Kira," he stated. Light stood there, wondering what had gone wrong. He looked towards Mikami, thinking that maybe he had been betrayed.

"You're wrong," said Near, "I owe this to Mello and June. I'm sure you understand what I mean by that." Light looked at him, then at Mello who stood with the SPK, then at the pale girl on the wheelchair. Near brought everyone's attention to a page in the fake Death Note. On the top of that page was Takada's name.

"That's right. When June kidnapped Takada, Mikami took out the real notebook. The one he had hidden in a safe deposit box at the bank. And wrote Takada's name down." Now Gevanni was explaining about when he tailed Mikami all the way to the bank and noticing several things about him that were out of character.

Near admitted that he didn't think about the possibility of a fake notebook until that incident. At that point, this whole scheme would have come undone if they hadn't found the Death Note.

Then he went on to explain Light's whole plan with the fake Death Note and Mikami. June was only half-listening at this point. She felt tired. She knew that she needed to go back to the hospital soon after this and that she would stay there for a while. But she just needed to see Light get put away so that she could have some closure. She needed to stay awake for just a bit longer. She also needed her pain meds to last a bit longer because she could feel them wearing off now.

"Of course, this is in large part due to Gevanni and Rester, who duplicated it in one day. But the biggest thanks goes to June, for kidnapping Takada and confiscating this," Near held a few pieces of paper in one hand. They were the Death Note pages that Takada kept in her office, partly covered in June's blood since they had been in her jacket pocket when she got shot. They carried the names of the people who had been killed by Kira.

"We also need to thank Mello, for alerting me the results of her efforts when unforeseen circumstances prevented her from giving us the information directly." Near looked at June. She was looking a shade paler, and from the looks on her face, any pain medication she was given was now wearing off. She needed to return to the hospital soon. June noticed him staring. She decided to throw his attention off of her discomfort.

"Well, fact is, I'd never planned on kidnapping Takada in the first place," she said. Mello frowned at her. If she wasn't planning on kidnapping Takada, then why did she do so?

"That had happened only after she caught me and I had to improvise to get out of NHN. I only went there to find the pages of the Death Note or the actual Death Note itself."

"I find it hard to believe that you thought that far ahead about the fake notebook," said Near.

"Well, your plan was good. Better than anything I could have ever come up with. But there had been one detail that nagged at the back of my mind for a long time."

"What was that?" asked Near, curious.

"You remember when I asked to talk to Gevanni about Mikami?" she asked. Near nodded and spared a glance at Gevanni.

"Yes, you asked about what Mikami did the first time he used the Death Note in public," said Near. June nodded.

"Yes, well I distinctly remembered when Gevanni said how Mikami pulled out his cell phone and it looked like he took a picture of his victim. After that, he messed with his cell phone more and then wrote in the notebook. I asked if it looked like he was sending a message and he said yes. That one detail bothered me to no end." She remembered all the days from the past few weeks she spent pondering over this one detail.

"So you went to the conclusion of a fake notebook based on that?" asked Near. June just shrugged.

"It was nothing more than a gut feeling, but my brother had often told me to act on them since they, more often than not, turn out to be right." She didn't look up, despite the fact that she could feel their eyes on her.

Mello couldn't believe that she had kept this from him. While he just knew that Takada was connected to Kira, she had went to the conclusion that Takada was the one killing people all because of a gut feeling. She might not have said anything due to her lack of evidence, but still, she should have said something.

"It's kind of surprising to hear that from you, who never had the ambition to claim the title, or had the ability to think strategically well in advance. It's clear that it's not that you lack any brains, but you recognized that you weren't L's equal by yourself all the same. Then again, I lack the action and Mello lacks the calm to be able to surpass L on our own," said Near. June smirked a bit as she looked up and saw Mello glare at Near for that comment. Some things just never changed.

"Still, even though we couldn't surpass the one we admired on our own, together we can stand with L. Together we can pass L," stated Near as he held up four finger puppets. One was L. One was Near. One was Mello. And the last one June recognized as herself.

"And now," Near turned his head to face Kira, "we are facing Kira, whom L could find no proof against, the very Kira who L was defeated by. Facing Kira with solid evidence before his very eyes! Let's see you talk your way out of this one."

June watched as Kira collapsed to the ground in the fetal position, as though he was having a mental breakdown. Then, he started laughing.

Correction, he really _was_ having a mental breakdown. He stood back up as he laughed hysterically.

"That's right. I am Kira," he said with a grin on his face.

"So now what? Are you going to kill me right here?" he asked. Everyone was silent for a moment.

"Listen, I'm Kira. And the God of this new world. In this world, I am the law, and I am the one maintaining order. That is the truth. Now, I am justice. The world's only hope. Are you going to kill me? Is that really the right thing to do?" he asked. June felt a spark of rage grow into an inferno as he went on with his speech. He assumed that he was the world's only hope? He was a hypocrite! And how dare he insinuate that L was a rotten person who didn't deserve to live! He was her brother. The only person who cared for her growing up before she went to Wammy's. If she had been able to get up out of her wheelchair, she would have gladly done so just to beat the ever-loving shit out of him.

"No," said Near at the end of his speech, which gained June's attention, "You are just a murderer. And this notebook here is the worst murder weapon in the history of mankind."

Mello watched June as Near continued with his own speech about justice. Just a moment ago, she looked enraged. He understood how she felt, since the man claiming to be justice had killed her brother in cold blood. He knew that bullet wound was the only real thing that was preventing her from trying to beat up Kira. But things were going to be fine now. Kira was going to be locked up somewhere far away, and her scars from the past five years could finally start healing.

Eventually, June just closed her eyes. It was getting more obvious that her pain meds were wearing off, and she was tired. Kira was as good as caught now, so she could afford to rest for a bit, right?

She had started dozing when she heard a pair of footsteps walking away. She opened her eyes to see that it was Kira who was walking. Why was he getting further away from them? Suddenly, he brought his hand up and pulled out a pen.

Now she was wide awake. Shit! He had a note hidden on him! He was going to kill someone!

Before anyone else could react, Matsuda had let off a single round, knocking the pen out of Kira's hand. June looked at Matsuda. Damn! He could aim. But he also looked upset with tears streaming down his face. She felt a twinge of sympathy. This situation couldn't be easy on him.

Light got up, and he was just pissed that Matsuda shot him.

"YOU IDIOT! Who do you think you're shooting, Matsuda? Damn you! If you're going to shoot someone, shoot the other! What do you think you're doing?" shouted Light. June watched the exchange from where she sat. Matsuda was asking Kira what Deputy Director Yagami died for. She remembered that L had spoken highly about him, and Matsuda must have looked up to him.

Light tried to change the subject by saying society made his father look like a fool, but Matsuda wasn't buying it. When Light tried to use his own blood to finish writing the name, Matsuda fired off several more bullets on him, all of them hitting the intended target. Light dropped the note, and Matsuda advanced on him.

"I have to kill him. This guy has got to die!" he screamed. June wasn't really thinking anything beyond "Oh shit!" She just knew that, as Matsuda got closer to Light, she somehow managed to get out of her wheelchair and run at Matsuda. Before he could shoot the last bullet, June had tripped over her own feet, knocking him down by the legs as she went down.

She was breathing painfully as her wound was irritated, but as Matsuda looked down at her in confusion, she managed to rasp out her message.

"D-Don't . . . become . . . _him_." As much as she wanted Light to die herself, it was no way to end the case. She couldn't allow him to do what Light would do by just killing your enemies. That wasn't the Task Force L spoke of.

Eventually, the rest of the Task Force restrained Matsuda and placed her back in her wheelchair. Mello and Matt ran up to her, noticing that she was in pain.

"Are you alright?" asked Mello. She looked up at him, her eyes squinting in pain.

"I'll be fine. I just need . . . a moment."

"Your pain meds wore off, didn't they?" asked Matt. She didn't say anything, but the look on her face said it all.

"Rester, start making preparations to transport June back to the hospital. It looks like we're just about done here," ordered Near.

June looked back up to see Light begging Ryuk to kill everyone. Mello and Matt noticed this and tensed. Mello was about to grab for his gun when June grabbed his arm.

"You don't know . . . that shinigami. Just watch," she said. Mello didn't like it, but he did as she said and watched. The shinigami did agree to write a name down, but only Light Yagami's.

"No matter how I look at it, you've lost, Light. I was kind of expecting to see you get out of this one, but if I'm your last resort . . . you really are done for. You've eased my boredom for quite a long time, haven't you? It was a lot of fun." Now Mello saw what she meant.

Everyone was only able to stand by and watch as Ryuk wrote down Light's name and Light begged him to stop, saying that he didn't want to die. The shinigami just commented on how undignified he looked and that waiting for him to die in prison would be boring. So he was just going to kill him.

40 long seconds later, Kira finally collapsed from a heart attack. And that was the end of Kira.

**And done! This is easily one of the longest chapters I've written for this story. And it was mainly a retelling of what happened in the manga, but I found it necessary to do so. I'm hoping that this chapter came out well.**

**All that is left now is the epilogue. So there is still something to stay alert for, but for now, with the exception of a few loose ends, the story is just about done.**

**So, review and let me know what you think and I'll be back soon with the REAL ending. **


	47. Epilogue

**Longest. Chapter. Ever! I hope you guys enjoy it, too! As this is the last one in this story. The thought makes me glad, yet it almost makes me cry at the same time.**

**But I won't keep you guys any longer. Here it is!**

**Disclaimer: For the last time, I do not own Death Note. June has been my OC this whole time.**

Epilogue

"Near, you do realize that we still have to arrest Mello, right?" asked Ide. It was minutes after Ryuk killed Light, and everyone was starting to clean up and get ready to leave now that the case was finally closed. After confirming that the two fake rules were fake, Near burned both the fake and real Death Note.

Right now, Mello and Matt were gathered around June's wheelchair, making sure that she was okay while Rester prepared to take her back to the hospital.

Near was off to the side with Aizawa, Ide, Mogi, and Matsuda to discuss a few things, one of them regarding Mello. Near looked up at them while twirling a strand of hair around his finger.

"I understand that some things Mello did were breaking the law and that the issue regarding Deputy Director Yagami's death after dealing with the mafia plays a strong hand in this." The Task Force remained silent as they stared down at him

"However, I would appreciate it if you would overlook some of Mello's actions and let him go," finished Near.

"What?" said Ide.

"But you said it yourself. Mello's a criminal! We can't let him walk!" exclaimed Matsuda. It wasn't right. All criminals should be locked up for what they had done.

"We understand if you consider him as a colleague, but . . ." started Aizawa.

"I'm not making this request for him. I'm making it for June," clarified Near.

"Huh?" At this, Matsuda looked over at the girl. She wasn't looking at them. She was too busy talking to Mello and the redhead.

"I suspect that June has had a lot of mental trauma dealt to her over the course of this case. The death of her brother, L, was the event that set it off. She had lost a lot when her only family member died. I can't say for sure as to what she might do if left alone now that Kira is gone," said Near.

"So, you can keep an eye on her. Didn't you say that she was supposed to be your consultant, anyway?" asked Ide.

"I could, but that wouldn't exactly help resolve any problems June might still have. I'm not good at dealing with other people's emotions, and she's more often than not too proud to talk about her problems. While we may acknowledge each other as friends, we really aren't that close. Her closest friend, when she stayed at Wammy's, was actually Mello."

"Really?" asked Matsuda, not believing it.

"That is why I'm asking you to let him go. June is not sociable enough to make many friends, but she absolutely hates being alone. And Mello is the only person who can get her to talk. I have a plan that I like to propose to him about concerning the title of L, anyway. I'll take full responsibility for his actions in the meantime. What do you say?" Near looked up at them, waiting for their answer.

Everyone was silent as they considered Near's request. Aizawa glanced over at Mello and June. He still remembered when he found her bleeding out in Mello's arms. It was clear to him that Mello actually cared for the girl.

Plus, if she was L's sister, then he felt as though he should do something to compensate for the fact that she hadn't been able to attend a funeral of any kind for her brother.

". . . Alright," he said, looking back at Near.

"Aizawa . . ." Matsuda and Ide stared at him, surprised.

"I'm willing to let him walk, if only because I think that she's suffered enough as is. But I can't guarantee that I'll do the same next time, so hopefully, this plan of yours, whatever it is, goes smoothly."

"I'm pretty sure it will, and I thank you for allowing my request," said Near, satisfied that it went well. The rest of the Task Force reluctantly agreed with Aizawa. He would walk this time, but he needed to watch himself.

Right when Matt was about to wheel June out of the warehouse, a voice stopped them.

"Hold on. We still have some unresolved business to take care of." Everyone in the warehouse stared at Ryuk as he floated towards June. Mello stepped defensively in front of her, but June grabbed his arm. When he looked down at her, she just simply shook her head.

"Let me take care of this," she said. Then she nodded her head at Matt, indicating that he should bring her forward. He was reluctant to do this, considering that the shinigami clearly didn't take sides and he didn't know what he was going to do, but he did so anyway. He doubted that just simply taking her away would stop the shinigami from getting what he wanted.

June stared up at him. She had a feeling she knew what this was about.

"I have to say, you have got to be one of the luckiest people in this room. After all, if a different date for this meeting had been picked, you would have dropped dead anyway, even if the evidence you dug up did reach Near," said Ryuk with a smirk on his face.

"What?" said Mello. How close were they cutting it with the deadline?

Ryuk simply nodded.

"Yes. She told you about our little bet, right? If Kira wasn't brought down in two years' time, with some credit on her part, then I was free to write her name down in the Death Note, using any method of death I pleased. That was the price for getting rid of your name so that Kira couldn't kill you."

"What?" The members of the Task Force were shocked. They still didn't get how she could see Ryuk in the first place, but now he was saying that she was nameless because she made a dangerous bet with him?

June looked over at them, remembering yesterday when they asked how she had no name.

"I told you, didn't I? You didn't want to use my method." An extremely dangerous, stupid method that would probably be #1 on her list of stupidest ideas ever for years to come.

"Out of curiosity, when was the deadline for this bet?" asked Near. Ryuk looked over at him.

"If this little meeting hadn't gone down the way it did today, then she would have been dead by twilight tonight."

"What!" Mello couldn't believe how close June had been to death. Matt quickly looked outside. It was still light out. Ryuk chuckled when he saw Matt's reaction.

"Oh, don't worry. Kira's dead now, and she had quite the part in bringing him down. So I'm going to keep my part of the bargain. She gets to live and have her name back." Ryuk looked back down at June. She was looking back up at him, no fear apparent on her face.

"Still being the bold human female, I see. But like I said back then, that's why I like you. You had been quiet at the beginning of our bet, but you made things quite entertaining during these last few months. I just have one last question to ask you before I give you back your name." June said nothing. She only raised an eyebrow at the shinigami, wondering what it was he needed to ask now that it was over.

Ryuk pulled out his Death Note from its holster and held it up in front of her.

"What do you want done with this? Do you want to keep it? Or do you want to give it up?" he asked. She glared at him. Like hell she wanted the stupid Death Note! That thing had been the source of all her problems for the past five years!

"Hell no! I don't want to have anything more to do with that thing!" she shouted, angry that he would think that she would accept it. Ryuk smirked. Mello didn't like the look on his face.

"Very well. As you wish." Before anyone could react, Ryuk stuck his hand out, palm facing June's face. Mello tried to hit it away, but his hand only went through the shinigami's arm. It was only there for a few seconds, but when he pulled his hand away, June had a dazed look across her face.

"What the hell did you do to her?" asked Mello, stepping in front of her defensively and worried that the shinigami had done something terrible to her. Ryuk just tilted his head at him. That smirk was still on his face.

"I just did as she asked. When she first stole my Death Note from me, she became the Death Note's owner. When a person gives up a Death Note, they lose all memories concerning it. It wouldn't have been any fun for her to have brought up a bet only to lose all memory of it, and therefore not be able to abide by it. So, I made her the owner of my Death Note. When a person owns a Death Note, their lifespan becomes invisible to anyone who has shinigami eyes. So for her nameless status, I just switched it so that her name was invisible instead of her lifespan. There wasn't anything in the rules against it, so I don't think that I'll get in trouble for it. This whole time, she had been a Death Note owner. And without even realizing it from the sounds of it. And now, she gave up ownership of it. While this means I'll now leave this realm, it also means that she's now given up every memory concerning the Death Note from the past few years, including just what shinigami are."

Everyone stood there, shocked. They had not been expecting this. Near was surprised as well, but he had one last question.

"You said that she _stole_ the Death Note from you. How did she do that if one can't see shinigami without first touching the notebook?" Ryuk laughed.

"That's the most interesting part about this specific human. She was already able to see me with the Death Note," he said.

"W-What? That's impossible!" shouted Matsuda.

"Really?" Ryuk looked at the girl in the wheelchair.

"Then tell me why, even though she should no longer see me now, is she cowering from the sight of me?" he asked humorously. Mello turned around to face June.

She was leaning back in her chair, eyes wide and full of fear. She was trembling. She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't. That _thing_ was there. She was sure it was of the same manner of creature that had once haunted her nightmares as a child. No, it shouldn't be real. But it was _right there_!

"June!" June blinked and looked up at Mello. That was right. Nobody else here could see the thing. She had to calm down, or she would be locked up in a mental institution.

"June, we can see the shinigami as well," said Near. June focused her gaze on him. He . . . could? And it was called a shinigami? How did he know that?

"Yes, everyone here can see me. So there's no need to panic, _Jay_," said the thing. June's heart started racing in fear. She reached down with her good arm to try to roll herself back away from the monster. She wished that her left arm wasn't in a sling. Then her escape attempt would probably have gone off better.

That was her real name! How the hell did that thing know that? Nobody but her brother and Watari knew that, and they were dead!

Matt grabbed her shoulder, making her look up.

"It's okay. No need to be scared," he said reassuringly. June was still taking painful shallow breathes. What was going on here?

"June, you remember that we had just now caught Kira, correct?" June focused her attention on Near again. She nodded slowly. Yes, she remembered that they were here to catch Kira. And that it had worked.

"Can you tell me just who Kira is?" asked Near. June frowned. Why was he asking her that? Kira was . . . was . . .

June looked around and saw a body on the floor.

. . . It was him, right?

"Kira's right there," she said, although she sounded a bit unsure. Near frowned. She didn't refer to him by name. Then did that mean what the shinigami said was true? He needed to confirm this with something else.

"June, we managed to get Kira to confess to his crimes using a method that you helped set up. Can you tell me what that method was?" June just blinked at him. Why would he ask if she knew how they caught Kira? After all, all they did was . . . was . . .

What did they do?

"He just . . . confessed, didn't he?" Near frowned.

"Yes . . . after we confronted him with undeniable proof. What was the proof?" June frowned as she thought back. This happened just today. Not even an hour ago. So why . . .

Why couldn't she remember it?

"I can't . . . remember. What happened? What's going on?" Ryuk chuckled, earning a wary glance from June.

Near looked down as he saw that the shinigami was right. Even though they won and had finally closed the Kira case, Ryuk was the one who got the last laugh.

"Well, if you really want to remember that badly, then here. Catch this," said Ryuk as he tossed her his Death Note. It fell in June's lap. Her reaction was almost instant.

"Keep this thing away from me!" She threw the notebook across the room. The moment it left her hand, the dazed look returned to her face. Ryuk laughed.

"She doesn't want the notebook, so she's going to have to live without ever remembering how she helped win this case. It's pretty funny, isn't it?"

Mello glared at Ryuk, but returned his attention to June as he saw her try to get away from the shinigami. She had the same scared look on her face as before.

"Aw, Jay. What's the matter? You don't like me anymore?" teased Ryuk. At the sound of her real name, June tried to get up out of her wheelchair, only to be stopped by Mello. She struggled for a bit in his arms until she started coughing up blood. The bullet wound in her lung had re-opened.

"Mello! Get her out of here!" ordered Near. Mello didn't need the order from Near. He and Matt were already heading out the door as soon as they saw the blood. Ryuk just laughed as he watched them run away.

"Ryuk, you said that you were going to keep your end of the bargain and let her live when she got her name back. You're not killing her now that you technically did your end of the deal?" asked Near. He wasn't sure as to what the shinigami would do now that his source of entertainment was gone.

Ryuk turned around to face him.

"No. As I said before, I've grown to like her. So I'm allowing her to live. However, I can't say anything about her natural time of death, which could be at any time and would be beyond my control." Everyone felt cold as Ryuk chuckled to himself, pleased by their reactions.

"Well, there's nothing left for me to do here. So I'll be on my way." With that, Ryuk took flight and disappeared through the ceiling.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

With all of the mayhem and suspense that had been going on throughout the case, there had been one question that had gone unanswered. Of course, as June told Mello before, she had no idea why she could see the shinigami. She just knew that the occurrence was rare and kept her mouth shut about it, not even thinking that they would be part of a case.

However, the reason she didn't know why was because she couldn't remember a certain incident that took place when she was but two years old. After all, who could remember anything from when they were so young?

_Outside of Wammy's, while a certain detective went over the details of a case with a certain inventor, one little girl wandered outside. She wasn't supposed to be out of anyone's sight, but she had grown bored of the constant talking going on inside, so she decided to go outside._

_Her blonde hair, which had actually been black when she was born, reached past her shoulder blades. Her blue eyes traveled over the field before her. She ran out and had gotten halfway across the field when something had hit her in the head._

_She clutched her head as she heard something plopped to the ground. That thing turned out to be a black notebook. Curiosity settling in, she grabbed the ordinary notebook and started flipping through the pages. There were some words written in it, but for the most part, it was blank._

_She frowned. Why was there a blank notebook out here? In the end, she decided that it didn't matter. What mattered was that she should get some crayons so that she could draw in it. It would be better than listening to the boring conversation between her brother and old man._

_She was almost back to the door when something picked her up off the ground._

"_So, you were the one who picked it up," said the thing that had her by the back of her shirt. She stared at it with wide eyes. Fear started to settle in her heart._

_There was a monster here! A monster was here and it was going to eat her! She struggled in its grasp. She had to warn her brother so that he could either hide her or chase it away. Her brother always knew what to do._

"_Stop struggling, you little shrimp! Just give me back my notebook!" The thing grabbed the notebook in her hands and ripped it out of her grasp. The child reached out for it. That was her notebook! She found it and now the monster was stealing it!_

"_Oh, like a human brat like you would know how to use it," it said, dropping her on the ground._

_She landed on her butt, unharmed, but she still cried out. The monster was going to do something horrible. She just knew it! But there was no one out there to help her._

"_Jay! Jay, what's wrong?" A young man came out, noticing that his sister had gone missing and went to look for her. When he found her crying outside, he saw nothing there for her to be crying about. He picked her up, thinking that she had fallen and hurt herself. When he saw no real physical injury on her, he carried her inside._

"_Come on, I know I told you not to wander off on your own like that," he said._

"_M-M-M-Monster!" she cried, trying to warn him._

"_Monster?" He looked back out the door. He didn't see anything that classified as a monster. Nor were there any traces of anyone having been outside with his little sister. Perhaps she had been imagining things?_

_Either way, there was nothing there. _

"_It's okay. There's nothing there. Now let's go inside." With that, he carried his crying little sister inside and out of sight of the monster._

"_Finally," said the shinigami. He flew off, his notebook now secured. However, he didn't think of trying to get the little girl to give up ownership of the notebook first. After all, she was just a child. But, for some reason or another, that one event had affected the child. The reason for it is still, in a sense, unknown. But, ever since this incident, that girl had been able to see shinigami._

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

One year had passed since the events that had unfolded in the Yellow Box Warehouse.

Mello was currently sitting on the couch, listening to an iPod that was plugged into a small stereo. He was thinking back to everything that happened on this day a year ago. Kira's death, Ryuk erasing June's memory, June being rushed to the hospital . . .

That wasn't a pleasant memory.

_I keep holding onto you_

_But I can't bring you back to life_

_Sing the Anthem of the Angels_

_And say the last goodbye_

Mello finally got up off the couch and walked over to the mini stereo. He pressed the stopped button, not wanting to continue listening to that song.

"Hey! I like that song!" came the reply as soon as the music stopped. Mello sighed.

"Well, if you knew how to be prepared in advance and have all your stuff in order, we wouldn't still be here and you could be listening to this with your headphones!" he retorted, annoyed that June still didn't know how to plan ahead of time and therefore didn't prepare for missions until the last minute.

June walked out of her room, black backpack on her shoulder, shoes on, and her new favorite blue jacket on, with her necklace tucked in so to lessen the chance of losing it.

Her hair was now halfway down her back and in a low ponytail. She had started brushing her hair during the past year, so her hair was wavy instead of being a tangled up rat's next. The black dye was completely gone now, but June felt as though her hair was now looking closer to being brown than blonde, but Mello couldn't say that he really cared.

And she was frowning at him.

"Hey, I still get ready in time. We still have plenty of time to meet up with Near about that drug deal that's supposed to go on at the Yellow Box as well as rehearse our story for when we pretend to be the buyers," said June. She swore Mello was just as annoying as he was when they were kids.

Matt walked in, not looking up from his handheld as he headed out the door of their temporary base.

"I'm ready to go, so hurry up, shorty. We don't have all day," he said as he walked out the door. June twitched in annoyance. Since she never grew past 5'2", Matt had decided to add short jokes on top of You-Have-No-Hope-Of-Beating-Me-At-Video-Games jokes. And he was sometimes a lot more creative with them.

June sighed. Honestly, some things never change.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She looked up to see Mello looking down at her with a somewhat concerned look on his face.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" he asked, and not for the first time, either.

It had been only a year since the death of Kira, and June still couldn't remember one single thing about the case that was about this "Death Note" that Mello, Matt, and Near told her about. They had told her that the creature she saw was a shinigami and that she had made a bet with it. They also told her that, when she asked why she got shot by someone, she had broken into Takada's office, stole her Death Note pages, and kidnapped her. When she tried to get the pages to them, one of the Kira followers shot her on sight, almost killing her.

She remembered the part about getting shot, but majority of the case was all a blank to her. She couldn't remember any of these events herself. It all seemed unreal.

But, she eventually stopped caring about it. The important thing was that Kira was gone, L had been avenged, and she had gone back to Mello, Matt, and Near as the consultant/extra help for cases.

Near and Mello had _finally_ reached an agreement. After much coaxing from June (well, verbal threats, but you get the picture), the title was now shared amongst them. After all, Near had said it himself. Not one of them was L's equal. Although, June was still averse to having any claim to the title. She liked it better just to be in the background.

Even then, Near had somehow gained access to her bank account and deposited her inheritance that she had never claimed. So now she had no excuse about avoiding paying her share of the hotel bills and the like.

Even with all of this happening, things weren't really that much different than before the Kira case.

June nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I told you that I'm over it. What's important is that we're all alive, so don't worry about it," she said. She was about to pull out of his grasp when he tilted her head up and kissed her. After a moment of surprise, June closed her eyes and kissed back.

Okay, so there had been _some_ changes over the past year.

They didn't exactly jump into a relationship right after the events from a year ago. It had actually been weeks later, when June was completely healed and she was debating about staying or going. After all, she didn't have any plans beyond the completion of the Kira case.

Mello, of course, didn't want her to go. When he wasn't sure on what she had decided on doing, he convinced her to stay by showing how much he cared for her, which was basically what he was doing right now.

They pulled apart and just stared at each other. It wasn't an awkward silence. They just didn't need to say anything at this point.

June leaned up, as though to kiss him again. Mello was inclining his head down again . . . when she pushed him over the back of the couch, making him land on his back on the other side. She laughed.

"Come on, now. You were the saying how we needed to get going here. So let's go before Matt gets impatient." She grabbed her iPod and walked out the door, still laughing.

Mello got up, a look of annoyance on his face. But that look turned into a smile as he walked out the door, following her to solve another case.

**I can finally say this now: it is done! I can finally change the status to complete after nearly two years!**

**I hoped you guys enjoyed this epilogue as I attempted to give you guys one last scare before writing the long awaited and much anticipated kiss scene between Mello and June.**

**So yes, technically, Ryuk got the last laugh here, but everyone is still alive. I'm also glad that I've managed to get over 100 reviews before this story ended. :D **

**I would like to now thank everyone who has reviewed and/or added this story to one of their lists (to some of you, this site has refused to let your name to stay on the list for some stupid reason, so I apologize if you don't see your username in the acknowledgements. I really tried to put your username in here):**

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**And to everyone else who read who may not have an account! I thank you all for the support throughout this story, for without it, I might never have gone this far into the story. **

**Thanks to this story going so well, I have several other stories I'm in the process of making on this site!  
**

**Anyway, I thank you all for sticking with this story, even with the sporadic and sometimes rarely seen updates. I hope this last chapter has been to your liking.**

**So, with everything said and done, I bid you ado . . . unless I think up of a sequel. ;) **


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